Central America is a popular destination for expats. Teaching is one of the most popular jobs for people who want to live and work in this part of the world. Finding a job in some of the schools in Central America is not too difficult, especially if you want to teach English. The cost of living is low in all countries of Central America. Panama and Costa Rica are considered the most developed countries of Central America, but even in these counties, the cost of living is low.
How to Find Teaching Jobs in Central America
Before you decide where you want to work, you need to get as much information as you can about the countries of Central America. Nearly all Central American countries have beautiful nature, great climate and low cost of living, but not all of them have the same standard of living.
Panama and Costa Rica have the highest standard of living. Costa Rica is the most popular expat destination in Central America. Its health care system is great, economy is stable and there are no any political tensions in the country.
Teaching English in Costa Rica
To teach English in this country, you won’t need a TEFL or TESOL certificate. You will need to have a bachelor’s degree (form a 4-year college). As you can see, it is not too difficult to qualify, but if you don’t have a certificate, your potential employer will probably want to meet you in person before he/she actually offers you a job. Another good thing is that most schools will offer you TEFL certification, and after this, you will have better chances of getting hired.
An average teacher salary in Costa Rica goes from 400 USD to 700 USD monthly.
To find job opportunities in Costa Rica, visit Go Abroad.
Teaching English in Panama
In this country, there are many job opportunities for English-speaking teachers. If you can speak Spanish, this will be a great advantage, but even if you don’t, you will still be able to find a job.
You can always find a temporary job as a private teacher, but if you want to stay longer and work in some of the schools, you will need to get a work visa. This will take some time! You’ll need a copy of your employment contract, a statement from the police (from your home country), a medical certificate, and a statement from the Panamanian school in which they will explain why they want to hire a foreign teacher. Many teachers choose to work in Panama without a work visa (they have tourist visa and pay additional taxes), and they never go through this process.
An average teacher salary in Panama is 400 USD – 1,000 USD monthly.
To find a teaching job in Panama, visit some of the following websites:
The Florida State University – Panama
International School of Panama
Universidad Latina de Panama
If you want to find out more about job opportunities in other Central American countries, you can visit:
Manna Project
International School Jobs
World Teach
Transitions Abroad