hide
Home ›
teach english abroad ›
teach english in germany ›
Teach English in Berlin

Teach English in Berlin

The epitome of European cool, Berlin is a must for anyone who loves art, culture, music, history, architecture and food. What about English teaching?

Our customers say Excellent

4.6 out of 5 based on 9,879 reviews
TEFL Org is an internationally accredited and market leading TEFL course provider
Teach English in Berlin
Most accredited
TEFL course provider
Internationally recognised
TEFL certificate
Over 205,000
teachers trained
80% of graduates
find work within 2 months

Berlin truly has something for everyone. Whether you’re a foodie, looking to try the various high-calibre restaurants, you’re fascinated by history, or you want to get into the city’s famous techno clubs, Berlin represents a truly unique life for any TEFL teacher with a range of interests.

The capital of Germany, Berlin is - obviously - a major destination for tourists from around the world. Millions visit, and plenty stay; nearly a million of Berlin’s residents come from outside Germany, and it’s no surprise. Though cities like Hamburg, Leipzig and Dortmund represent the economic centres of Germany, Berlin is the ultimate in terms of European culture.

In short: Berlin is very cool, and loads of young people worldwide move there for the music, the fashion and the lifestyle. What about TEFL teachers? Is it possible to make a living while you teach English in Berlin? Does the enormous tourism industry lend a hand? What about salaries and the cost of living while you're teaching English?

Let’s take a deeper look at Berlin.

Berlin: An overview

Berlin may be full of musicians, architecture buffs and amateur historians, but it’s also full of people with an interest in education. Berlin is the academic heart of Germany, and though it has an excellent public education system, it’s also packed with colleges, universities and community colleges for adults. 

If you’re keen on teaching English in Germany, Berlin is an extremely safe bet in terms of work opportunities. For one thing, the tourism and culture industries require a decent standard of English, so tutoring opportunities exist from Kreuzberg to Hellersdorf. Private language schools are also plentiful, as are aforementioned community colleges where English is taught to a high standard. You’ll find, particularly if you want to teach English in Europe, that Berlin represents great travel links and opportunities for English teachers. 

International schools are also pretty common in Berlin, though these don’t necessarily offer traditional jobs for teaching English as a foreign language, and the entry requirements are lofty. 

German students expect quality, and they also expect teachers to be able to speak German, even at a basic level. When you teach English in Germany, you're going to want to earn the trust of both young learners and adult learners, and having a little bit of German language knowledge goes a long way.

Requirements for teaching English in Berlin

So, what do you need to teach English in Berlin? What are the teach abroad requirements for this incredibly fast-paced, exciting city? If you’re a non-EU citizen, you’ll need to secure a work permit before attempting entry.

Though not every job will require a bachelor’s degree it’s fair to say that the vast majority of salaried TEFL jobs in Berlin will be easier to access if you have one. If you want to teach English abroad without a degree in Berlin, you might find language schools can offer contracts, and you can secure a work visa that way.

Completion of one or more TEFL courses will demonstrate to any employer that you have the skills to teach English to a high level. 120 hours is the industry standard, and it’s important to ensure your TEFL course provider has multiple sources of legitimate accreditation and is reputable within the industry.

Previous teaching experience can count for ESL teachers teaching English in Germany. If you want to teach English abroad without experience, and are trying your luck in Berlin, entry-level jobs in private language schools and community colleges are your best bet. For those with prior teaching experience, as well as TEFL certification and a bachelor’s degree, state schools, private schools and universities ought to be good routes.

If English isn’t your first language, but you want to teach English abroad as a non-native speaker, you can still find work. You’ll need to demonstrate fluency - an IELTS or TOEFL certificate absolutely helps - and while it’s fair to say native English speakers are generally preferred, there are still opportunities. 

Salary, Benefits and Cost of Living

Salary

So, what kind of salary is being offered in Berlin? If you’re able to secure full-time work - which can be difficult - you’re looking at an average salary of €1,400 to €2,200 (£1,200-£1,885/$1,506-$2,367). 

In a city like Berlin, where there are so many opportunities for tutoring, part-time work or freelance work more generally, you can charge German students around €12-€16 (£11-£15/$13-17) for a 45-minute lesson if you’re relatively new to TEFL teaching. If you’re more experienced, you can command up to €18-€30 (£17-£28/$19-$32).

Read more about TEFL salaries in Germany.

Country Avg. monthly salary Degree required Start of term Teaching experience Housing & flights included Suitable for non-native English speakers Age restrictions
Teach in Germany
€3,049
£2,597 GBP
$3,361 USD 		Preferred August None

Benefits

Many schools and language institutes offer additional benefits such as housing allowances, health insurance, and contract completion bonuses. Some employers also provide airfare reimbursement and paid vacation days, especially for contracts that are one year or longer.

Cost of living

What about the cost of living while teaching English in Berlin? Surely living and working somewhere as popular and metropolitan as London or New York means it’s prohibitively expensive? Well, no, not really. According to Numbeo, rents are on average half of what you’d pay in London. A one-bedroom apartment in central Berlin costs approximately £1,110/$1,355 per month, but if you’re willing to live outside the main hub of the city, rent of around £770/$964 is commonplace.

Your basic utilities cost about £285/$357, and there’s a robust, inexpensive public transportation system which costs about £42/$52 to use on a monthly pass basis. A three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant is about £55/$70 - comparable to most major cities in Europe.

For more information on the cost of living in Berlin, consult this table:

Restaurants
EUR
USD
GBP
Inexpensive restaurant meal
Domestic beer (0.5 litre)
Regular cappuccino
Water (0.33 litre)
Markets
EUR
USD
GBP
Regular milk (1 litre)
Loaf of white bread
Regular eggs (1 dozen)
Apples (1 kg)
Transportation
EUR
USD
GBP
One-way ticket (local transport)
Monthly pass (regular price)
Taxi start (normal tariff)
Gasoline (1 litre)
Utilities
EUR
USD
GBP
Electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage (for a regular apartment)
Regular prepaid monthly mobile tariff with 10GB+ data
Internet (60 Mbps, unlimited data, cable/ADSL)
Clothing and shoes
EUR
USD
GBP
Pair of jeans (Levis 501 or something similar)
Summer dress in a chain store
Nike running shoes (mid-range)
Men's leather business shoes

Download our teaching English in Europe guide

English teaching jobs in Berlin

As we’ve covered, finding full-time work as an English teacher in Berlin can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. The state education system and private schools hire English teachers year-round, but it’s extremely competitive and you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, a TEFL certificate, and valuable teaching experience to be considered.

Tutoring is a great option for teaching English abroad in Berlin. With English being so widely spoken in Berlin, TEFL teachers who can advertise themselves well are likely to find English teaching jobs with solo learners or small groups around the city. There are also plenty of language schools in Berlin, catering to a range of ages and abilities. Finding work, if you have a TEFL certificate (and especially if you have a degree and experience!) shouldn’t be too hard. Teaching business English is a good route to finding a job teaching English in Berlin.

More on teaching English in Berlin

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Q. Are English teachers in demand in Berlin?

    Yes, English teachers are very much sought-after in Berlin. Germany’s capital city has a huge volume of English speakers, and with so many international visitors, Berlin is full of people looking to learn the language.

  • Q. How much do English teachers make in Berlin?

    If you’re able to secure full-time English teaching work in Berlin, you can expect a salary of €1,400 to €2,200 (£1,200-£1,885/$1,506-2,367) per month at a state school. If tutoring is more your speed, you can charge around €12-€16 (£11-£15/$13-17) for a 45-minute lesson if you’re a newer teacher. If you’re more experienced, you can command up to €18-€30+ (£17-£28/$19-$32).

  • Q. Which country has the highest demand for English teachers?

    While it’s hard to measure demand, China probably has the most need for English teachers in the world, along with much of South East Asia, including countries like Cambodia, Taiwan and Vietnam. 

  • Q. Is it hard to become an English teacher in Germany?

    The difficulty you’ll experience becoming an English teacher in Germany is directly dependent on your qualifications and what kind of work you want to do. Finding full-time TEFL jobs in Germany can be difficult, even for the highly qualified, but tutoring and language schools are good work routes.