What you'll actually earn teaching English in Spain

Let's be straight from the off: teaching English in Spain pays the bills and funds a great lifestyle, but it isn't a route to big savings. A new teacher typically takes home €1,000 to €1,500 a month. The teachers who do better than that don't find one magic job, they stack a few income sources. Here's how the money really works.

Going rates by work type

Most teachers combine several of these. Business English is the best paid, private classes are the easiest to grow, and academy hours are the steady base.

Monthly take-home by city

Pay varies by city, but so do costs, so the real question is how far the money goes. Madrid and Barcelona pay a little more and cost a lot more; the smaller cities pay less but leave you better off day to day.

(Indicative 2026 figures, drawn from across the city guides. Rates rise with experience and the right mix of work.)

How teachers push past the base

The pattern is almost always the same. Start with academy hours for stability and a contract, then layer on private students at €15 to €25 an hour and, if you can, in company business classes which pay far more. Add a little online teaching to fill the gaps. Within a year, plenty of teachers comfortably clear €1,800 or more this way.

The freelance (autónomo) reality

A lot of private and in company work is done as autónomo (self employed), so it's worth knowing the basics:

• New freelancers pay a reduced "tarifa plana" of around €80 a month in social security for the first year, and several regions (Madrid, Andalusia and others) run a "cuota cero" that can refund even that.
• Private language teaching is generally exempt from VAT (IVA), which helps your take home.
• After the first year your social security moves to income based brackets, so plan for the step up.

Can you actually save?

On an academy salary alone, not much, you'll roughly break even your first year. Teachers who save are the ones who build up private classes or a business English specialism on top. The flip side is that your money goes a long way here, especially outside Madrid and Barcelona, so you live well even while saving little. See the full picture on the cost of living page.

Frequently asked questions