An English teacher in Chile earns between CLP 0.9 million and CLP 1.3 million gross a month in the fourth year after graduating, depending on the institution, according to the Employment and Income Search Tool of Mi Futuro, run by the Undersecretariat of Higher Education. The top bracket, CLP 1.2 million to CLP 1.3 million, belongs to graduates of U. Católica del Norte.
The tool lists 26 English Teaching programs, 18 of which report income, with an average lower bound of CLP 0.99 million. On average, 62.9% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 74.6% in their second. This guide explains how much an English teacher earns in Chile by institution, how long it takes to find work and how the field compares with similar degrees.
How much an English teacher earns in Chile by university
| Gross income bracket in year 4 | Institutions | Count |
|---|---|---|
| CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million | U. Católica del Norte | 1 |
| CLP 1.1 to 1.2 million | U. Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación, U. Mayor | 2 |
| CLP 1.0 to 1.1 million | U. de Santiago de Chile, Pontificia U. Católica de Valparaíso, U. Alberto Hurtado, U. Santo Tomás, U. Católica Cardenal Raúl Silva Henríquez, U. Andrés Bello, U. Católica de Temuco, U. San Sebastián, U. Austral de Chile, U. Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 10 |
| CLP 0.9 to 1.0 million | U. de Concepción, U. del Bío-Bío, U. de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educación, U. Autónoma de Chile, U. de La Frontera | 5 |
| No data | U. Diego Portales, U. de Atacama, U. de La Serena, U. de Tarapacá, U. Arturo Prat, U. Católica del Maule, U. Bernardo O'Higgins, U. de Talca | 8 |
Source: Mi Futuro, English Teaching (26 programs, 18 with income data), accessed November 15, 2026. According to the search tool's methodology, income is the average gross monthly pay of 2018, 2019 and 2020 graduates in their fourth year after graduating, calculated with data from the Internal Revenue Service (SII) and expressed in September 2025 pesos. The employment rate is the share of graduates earning at least the minimum wage in their first or second year. Programs with few cases show "no information" (s/i). The highest bracket the tool publishes runs from CLP 2.5 to 3 million.
Of the 26 English Teaching programs in the tool, 18 report income. The top bracket, CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million, belongs to Universidad Católica del Norte. It is followed by Universidad Mayor, with its primary and secondary program, and UMCE, which trains English, French and German teachers, in the CLP 1.1 to 1.2 million bracket.
Ten programs are in the CLP 1 to 1.1 million bracket, including Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Universidad de Santiago and Universidad Andrés Bello. In the CLP 900,000 to 1 million bracket are Universidad Autónoma, Concepción, La Frontera, Playa Ancha and Bío-Bío. Eight programs do not report income, including those at Universidad Diego Portales, La Serena and Talca.
In the table below you can search for your institution and sort by income or employment rate:
| Universidad Católica del Norte | 1.2 | 76.2% | 83.5% |
| Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación | 1.1 | 74.5% | 84.0% |
| Universidad Mayor | 1.1 | 71.6% | 84.5% |
| Universidad de Santiago de Chile | 1.0 | 83.5% | 83.7% |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 1.0 | 76.8% | 79.7% |
| Universidad Alberto Hurtado | 1.0 | 75.2% | 81.7% |
| Universidad Santo Tomás | 1.0 | 70.0% | No data |
| Universidad Católica Cardenal Raúl Silva Henríquez | 1.0 | 67.7% | 77.1% |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 1.0 | 57.7% | 67.2% |
| Universidad Católica de Temuco | 1.0 | 53.9% | 66.7% |
| Universidad San Sebastián | 1.0 | 51.7% | 67.5% |
| Universidad Austral de Chile | 1.0 | 49.2% | 61.8% |
| Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 1.0 | 37.4% | 66.0% |
| Universidad de Concepción | 0.9 | 61.3% | 79.6% |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 0.9 | 56.4% | 67.8% |
| Universidad de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educación | 0.9 | 56.3% | 70.7% |
| Universidad Autónoma de Chile | 0.9 | 51.4% | 73.9% |
| Universidad de La Frontera | 0.9 | 49.4% | 64.6% |
| Universidad Diego Portales | No data | 83.5% | 85.6% |
| Universidad de Atacama | No data | 74.5% | No data |
| Universidad de La Serena | No data | 68.4% | 67.4% |
| Universidad de Tarapacá | No data | 67.4% | 80.6% |
| Universidad Arturo Prat | No data | 62.7% | 74.0% |
| Universidad Católica del Maule | No data | 58.6% | 73.0% |
| Universidad Bernardo O'Higgins | No data | 53.8% | 76.9% |
| Universidad de Talca | No data | 47.3% | 73.7% |
What an English teacher does and where they can work in Chile
An English teacher teaches the language at schools, from primary through the final year of secondary. In the Ministry of Education's national curriculum, English is compulsory from 5th grade, and many private schools teach it from preschool. Beyond schools, the degree opens doors at language institutes, corporate English programs, university-prep schools, translation and private or online lessons, a market the official tool does not measure.
At state-funded schools, pay is governed by the Teaching Career system (Law 20,903), with a minimum per contracted hour, allowances by level and years of service, and bonuses for working at schools with vulnerable students. The levels and requirements are published by the CPEIP; details are in how much a teacher earns in Chile.
Mi Futuro measures graduates' actual gross income in year 4 using SII tax data, without separating whether they work at schools, institutes or for themselves. According to the tool, the average lower bound is CLP 0.99 million, very similar to physical education and somewhat lower than mathematics or language.
Employment of English teachers in Chile
View the data as a table
| Average lower bound of the year-4 income bracket | CLP 0.99 M |
| Employment rate in year 1 | 62.9% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 74.6% |
| Average actual duration | 11.7 semesters |
| Indicator (English Teaching) | Range across institutions | Simple average |
|---|---|---|
| Employment rate in year 1 | 37,4% (U. Católica de la Santísima Concepción) – 83,5% (U. Diego Portales) | 62.9% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 61,8% (U. Austral de Chile) – 85,6% (U. Diego Portales) | 74.6% |
| Actual length of the degree | 10,1 – 13,7 | 11.7 semesters |
| First-year retention | 68,8% (U. Arturo Prat) – 94,7% (U. Católica del Norte) | 85.6% |
Source: Mi Futuro, simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. First-year employment ranges from 37.4% at Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción to 83.5% at Universidad de Santiago and Diego Portales, and rises to 74.6% on average in year 2. It is lower than in primary education (90.0% in year 1) or mathematics (91.2%), although several universities exceed 75%. The relationship between income and employment by university is shown in this chart:
View the data as a table
| Employment rate in year 1 | Lower bound of year-4 income bracket (CLP millions) | |
|---|---|---|
| Universidad Católica del Norte | 76.20% | 1.20 |
| Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación | 74.50% | 1.10 |
| Universidad Mayor | 71.60% | 1.10 |
| Universidad de Santiago de Chile | 83.50% | 1.00 |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 76.80% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Alberto Hurtado | 75.20% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Santo Tomás | 70.00% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Católica Cardenal Raúl Silva Henríquez | 67.70% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 57.70% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Católica de Temuco | 53.90% | 1.00 |
| Universidad San Sebastián | 51.70% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Austral de Chile | 49.20% | 1.00 |
| Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 37.40% | 1.00 |
| Universidad de Concepción | 61.30% | 0.90 |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 56.40% | 0.90 |
| Universidad de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educación | 56.30% | 0.90 |
| Universidad Autónoma de Chile | 51.40% | 0.90 |
| Universidad de La Frontera | 49.40% | 0.90 |
An English teacher's pay versus other teaching degrees
| Degree | Average lower bound of year-4 income bracket | Average employment rate in year 1 | Programs with income data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics Teaching | CLP 1.23 million | 91.2% | 7 |
| Language Teaching | CLP 1.13 million | 83.5% | 9 |
| Primary Education Teaching | CLP 1.10 million | 90.0% | 18 |
| History Teaching | CLP 1.06 million | 73.6% | 10 |
| Physical Education Teaching | CLP 1.00 million | 57.1% | 22 |
| English Teaching | CLP 0.99 million | 62.9% | 18 |
Source: Mi Futuro, accessed November 15, 2026; simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. Among teaching degrees, mathematics has the highest lower bound and the highest employment, and English is on a par with physical education. To compare with another language and communications profession, see how much a journalist earns; for the other teaching degree in this series, how much a physical education teacher earns.
How much an English teacher earns in Chile: from gross to net pay
For an English teacher with gross pay equal to the degree's average lower bound, CLP 0.99 million, the legal deductions are the pension fund (AFP) contribution (10% plus the fee), health (7% in Fonasa or the isapre plan), unemployment insurance (0.6% on an open-ended contract) and income tax. With a fee of about 1.5%, contributions add up to roughly 19.1%, leaving about CLP 0.80 million before income tax, which depends on the income bracket (our own approximate calculation). For reference, the minimum wage in Chile has been CLP 553,553 since May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an English teacher earn right after graduating in Chile?
There is no official first-year income figure. Mi Futuro reports income in the fourth year: between CLP 0.9 million and CLP 1.3 million gross depending on the institution, with an average lower bound of CLP 0.99 million.
Where should you study English Teaching to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, graduates of U. Católica del Norte are in the top bracket in year 4, CLP 1.2 million to CLP 1.3 million.
Is it easy to find work as an English teacher?
On average, 62.9% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 74.6% in their second, according to Mi Futuro.
How much does an English teacher earn at a language institute?
There is no official public source with that figure. Mi Futuro measures all English Teaching graduates without separating where they work; institutes and private lessons usually pay by the hour.
Where should you study English teaching to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, Universidad Católica del Norte has the top bracket in year 4, CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million gross, followed by Universidad Mayor and UMCE, CLP 1.1 to 1.2 million.
