Teaching English in Spain, with academies, private classes and real pay

Terms used

• Fijo discontinuo — The fijo discontinuo is a permanent contract for work that repeats each season, such as an academic year, with no work in between.
• Autónomo — An autónomo is a self-employed worker who registers with Social Security and pays their own contributions.
• Falso autónomo — A falso autónomo is a worker registered as self-employed who in practice works as an employee.
• Tiempo parcial — Tiempo parcial means part-time: an employment contract for fewer hours than a full-time job.

Key rules

• Pay: Part-time academy work is usually paid per class hour, often with no pay for preparation.
• Contract: An academy should offer an employment contract, with Social Security, paid holidays and sick pay.
• False freelance: If the academy controls your schedule, place and methods, you are probably an employee, not a freelancer.
• Summer: Many academies cut your hours in summer, so work out your income for the whole year.

Is teaching English a good entry job?

It is easy to get into, but it pays modestly. Many academies hire newcomers, and the work is often part-time and paid by the hour. Treat it as a way to start, and work out your real yearly income before you say yes.

What qualifications do you need?

No law requires a TEFL certificate, a degree or native English for private academies. In practice, many academies expect a TEFL, CELTA or similar course of about 120 hours. This is most common with competitive employers and in Madrid and Barcelona. CELTA is the most valued, and academies that prepare students for Cambridge exams often require it. Some academies hire without a certificate, especially for conversation roles, and experience can make up for it.

If you come from outside the EU, you also need work authorisation. That is a separate process from getting the job.

How are you paid?

Academies (academias de idiomas) usually pay part-time teachers for each hour of class taught. Often they pay only for teaching hours, not for preparation. Full-time contracts are paid monthly, at a level near the lower end of Spanish salaries.

Pay is higher in Madrid and Barcelona. It rises with experience and qualifications, and for in-company classes, exam preparation and private classes. Private tutoring pays more per hour than an academy, but you must find the students and the hours are less steady.

Many academies give you fewer hours in summer. Take that into account: add up a full year of income, not just the busy months. Compare the hourly rate with current job postings in your city.

Which contract should you get?

You should be offered an employment contract, part-time (tiempo parcial) or full-time. It can be permanent or fixed-term. Since the 2022 labour reform, temporary contracts are restricted. So many academies hire teachers on a fijo discontinuo contract, which is permanent but covers only the academic year.

A national collective agreement for non-formal education and training covers language academies. Some regions or provinces have their own. Which one applies depends on the academy's activity and region, so ask which one covers your contract and read what it says about pay.

With an employment contract you have the right to Social Security contributions, paid holidays and sick pay. This applies to private academies, not public schools or universities.

Watch for false freelance status

Some academies ask teachers to register as autónomos (self-employed) when the job is really employment. This is called falso autónomo, and it is common in this sector. It shifts the costs and risks onto you.

The work is probably employment, not freelance, if:

• the academy sets your schedule
• you teach in its classrooms with its materials and methods
• you follow its instructions and it supervises you
• you have one client and a fixed regular payment
• you take no business risk

The labour inspectorate can reclassify the relationship as employment. The academy then owes back contributions and can be fined. You can also claim employee rights, including through the labour courts. Courts judge each case on the real working arrangements, so get advice from a union or a labour lawyer before you act.

The checklist below lists what to ask before you sign. The questions below it cover certificates, contracts and preparation time.

Checklist

• Ask whether the academy offers an employment contract, part-time or full-time, rather than freelance (autónomo) work.

• Check whether the contract is permanent, fixed-term or fijo discontinuo (permanent but only for the academic year).

• Find out which collective agreement covers the academy, national or regional, and read what it says about pay and holidays.

• Ask if you are paid only for teaching hours or also for preparation time.

• Compare the hourly rate with current job postings in your city, since Madrid and Barcelona pay more.

• Ask how many hours you will get in summer and work out your income for the whole year.

• Refuse freelance terms if the academy sets your schedule, uses its own classrooms and materials, supervises you and is your only client.

• Confirm the academy will pay your Social Security contributions, paid holidays and sick pay.

• Check whether the academy expects a TEFL or CELTA certificate of about 120 hours before you apply.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a TEFL certificate to teach English in a Spanish academy?

No, a TEFL certificate is not legally required, but many academies expect one of about 120 hours. It matters most in Madrid and Barcelona and at competitive employers. Academies that prepare students for Cambridge exams often ask for a CELTA, while some conversation roles hire without any certificate if you have experience.

Which contract should an academy offer me as a teacher?

An academy should offer you an employment contract, part-time or full-time, which is often fixed-discontinuous (fijo discontinuo) for academic-year staff. That contract gives you Social Security contributions, paid holidays and sick pay. Language academies are usually covered by a national agreement for non-regulated education, and some regions have their own.

What happens if an academy made me work as a false freelancer?

The labour inspectorate can reclassify your work as employment, and the academy then owes back Social Security contributions and faces fines. You can also claim employee rights, including through the labour courts. Fixed hours, the academy's classrooms and materials, and a single client are the signs that count.

Do academies pay for preparation time?

Often not, because part-time teachers are usually paid only for the hours they teach. Pay is higher in Madrid and Barcelona and for in-company classes and exam preparation. Many academies give fewer hours in summer, so work out your yearly income, not just the hourly rate.