Ex-teacher reveals previous salary after netizens claim teachers are well paid
How much does a teacher in Singapore actually earn?
An ex-teacher, who was contracted by the Ministry of Education as a scholar until he left the job in 2020, answered that very question in a TikTok video recently.
Mak Geng Yuan, who is now a property investor, decided to “spill the digits” after a barrage of comments on a previous video of his where commenters suggested that teachers were “paid very well” here.
The 33-year-old shared his last-drawn monthly salary with a screenshot of the payslip – $5,133.67, before CPF deduction.
Not that he was belittling the profession in any way; instead, Mak encouraged people to pursue teaching if they "have a strong passion to mould the future of our nation".
With over 3,000 followers on TikTok, Mak uses the platform to educate others on the ins and outs of property investment.
In an earlier video, he explained how he got into the trade. He bought his first property – an industrial office space valued at $778,000 – while he was still teaching.
It was an affordable investment for him, as he shared the cost with five other friends. That very same property is now valued at $850,000, he said.
Today, he’s a realtor who owns 9 properties, from industrial offices to residential homes in Singapore as well as the UK.
According to Mak, eight of his properties have increased in value since his purchase.
@g.y.mak Replying to @Laikuasimi Is MOE teacher salary that high that I can buy 9 properties? I used to be a teacher back in the days and many of you were wondering if the pay was high so here’s my answer ? #propertyinvesting #fyp #moeteachers #propertyinvestment ♬ original sound - Mak
High or low
With regards to his previous salary as a teacher, netizens were divided in their opinions.
Some felt $5,000 was quite low, considering the long hours and strenuous workload of teachers.
There were some, though, who felt the pay was quite reasonable.
One netizen pointed out that his pay doesn't reflect the annual bonuses teachers receive, and that he probably would have earned more than just $60,000 a year during his teaching career.
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