Cambodia has had a troubled past, but it is now working towards firmly putting those troubles in the past. Many thousands of people visit Cambodia every year and there is a growing expatriate community with a growing number of English teachers.
If you’re thinking about working in Cambodia, whether as a teacher or something else, visas for people from native English speaking countries are not a problem. You will be given a visa on arrival and you can choose from a tourist visa or business visa. If you’re considering working in Cambodia then you should opt for a business visa, but if you do get a tourist visa, you can easily extend it or change it to business visa when it expires. You just need to provide a passport photo, pay the appropriate fee (it’s about $280 at the time of writing) and you’ll be granted a visa.
There are many cities in Cambodia, but Phnom Penh (the nation’s capital) is the biggest city and home to the most schools. This is where most people will end up working. Other popular cities for English teachers include Siem Reap and Battambang, but the salary is often a bit lower in these cities.
Use the same methods that you would use in your home country to find a job. The internet, local papers and job search websites are always a good idea. From personal experience and talking to other teachers working in Cambodia, you might get more luck getting your CV printed, donning a smart shirt and going to speak to various English language schools in person.
Qualifications and experience aren’t necessarily important in Cambodia and people with neither of these will find a job. Those with the relevant qualifications (at least a bachelor’s degree, a TEFL or CELTA) and experience will find a job in no time at all. They will also be able to find higher salaried jobs with other perks such as paid holidays, whereas unqualified and inexperienced applicants might get a lower hourly salary and not so many benefits.
Most teachers will get a minimum of $10 per hour whereas some of the more qualified teachers will find a job that pays up to, or even more than $20 per hour. Most jobs will offer you enough hours to take home at least $1000 per month and most teachers split their time between 2 or more schools. This salary would be more than enough to meet your living costs.
Living costs can vary considerably depending on your choice of lifestyle. You can find a room to rent for $50 a month or a small modern apartment for about $200 a month. You could eat for $2-5 a day, or a lot more depending on where you go and where you eat!
All in all, if you’re a native English speaking teacher, you will have no problem finding a job. You will earn enough money to have a very good standard of living and you’ll find that native English speaking teachers are in great demand.