Teaching English Abroad After Graduation: JET, EPIK, TAPIF, and NALCAP Compared
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 08, 2026 • Study Abroad
JET (Japan), EPIK (South Korea), TAPIF (France), and NALCAP (Spain) are the four largest government-run English teaching programs open to US graduates. Pay, contract length, and language requirements differ a lot between them.
🎓 JET pays 4,020,000 yen in year one on a 12-month contract, renewable up to 5 years.
💵 EPIK pays 2.1 million to 3.0 million won a month plus free housing.
📩 TAPIF pays about 1,010 euros a month gross on a 7-month contract, 12 hours a week.
🏠 NALCAP pays 800 to 1,000 euros a month on a school-year placement.
TAPIF and NALCAP require French or Spanish ability. JET and EPIK do not.
How the four programs compare
All four programs place US citizens as classroom assistants in public schools abroad, funded or coordinated by a national government. None require a teaching license or education degree, and all place you as an assistant rather than the lead teacher.
| Program | Country | Pay | Contract length | Language required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JET | Japan | 4,020,000 yen/year (year 1) | 12 months, renewable to 5 years | None |
| EPIK | South Korea | 2.1M to 3.0M won/month | 12 months | None |
| TAPIF | France | ~1,010 euros/month gross | 7 months (Oct to April) | B1 French |
| NALCAP | Spain | 800 to 1,000 euros/month | 9-month school year | Basic Spanish |
JET Program: Japan
The JET Program pays 4,020,000 yen pretax in your first year, rising to 4,320,000 yen by years 4 and 5. Deductions for health insurance, pension, and income tax come out of that monthly. Contracts run about 12 months and you can reapply for up to 5 one-year terms total.
You must hold US citizenship by the application deadline. Permanent residents applying through the US embassy do not qualify. The 2027 departure cycle opens for applications in September 2026 with a November 2026 deadline, so if you graduate in spring 2026 you apply that fall for an August 2027 start. Once placed, the work week runs about 35 hours, typically 8:30am to 5:15pm on weekdays, following standard Japanese business hours.
EPIK: South Korea
EPIK accepts a bachelor's degree in any field. If your degree is not in education, you need a TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA certificate of at least 100 hours to place into Level 2, which starts around 2.1 million won a month. Candidates without that certification are classified Level 3 and are rarely placed under current hiring patterns, according to Korvia's EPIK salary breakdown .
Pay across all levels runs 2.1 million to 3.0 million won a month. EPIK provides free furnished housing and 26 paid vacation days a year, and placements cover all 17 Korean provinces, so you can request a preference but not guarantee a city.
TAPIF: France
The Teaching Assistant Program in France, run through the French Embassy's Villa Albertine cultural services , wants applicants aged 20 to 35 who have completed at least 3 years of college and speak French at a B1 level or higher. The contract runs 7 months, October through April, at 12 hours of teaching a week, which leaves time for travel or a side job.
The monthly stipend is about 1,010.67 euros gross, roughly 810 euros net after French payroll deductions, according to program cost breakdowns . Assistants placed in overseas departments like French Guiana or Reunion get a 30 to 35 percent bonus for the higher cost of living. TAPIF does not cover flights or housing deposits, so budget around $5,000 for your first few months.
NALCAP: Spain
The North American Language and Culture Assistants Program, run by Spain's Ministry of Education , needs a bachelor's degree from an accredited US or Canadian university and native-level English. You must be at least 18 as of January 1 of the program year and under 45 the following January 1. A basic conversational level of Spanish helps with daily tasks like renting an apartment, though the program does not set a formal test requirement.
The monthly stipend runs 800 to 1,000 euros depending on the region, plus medical insurance through the Ministry of Education or the regional government. Applications for the 2026-27 year open June 2 and close June 30, 2026. Flights are not included.
How to apply and when
JET runs the most predictable calendar: applications for a given August departure open in September of the prior year and close in November, so plan a full year ahead of your target start date. NALCAP also has a fixed window, opening June 2 and closing June 30 for the following school year, run through Spain's regional education offices in the US. EPIK and TAPIF both recruit through a rolling or seasonal cycle rather than one fixed deadline, so check current openings directly with EPIK's official partners or through Villa Albertine's TAPIF page well before your target semester.
Housing and visas
EPIK is the only one of the four that includes free furnished housing as part of the package, which offsets its lower monthly pay compared to JET. JET participants arrange their own apartment with support from their placing organization, and the salary is meant to cover that cost along with everyday living. TAPIF and NALCAP assistants find their own housing in France or Spain, and neither program pays for flights, so factor rent and a plane ticket into your first-month budget on top of the stipend figures above.
Which one fits you
Pick JET if you want the highest pay and don't need a foreign language. Pick EPIK if you want free housing and are open to any placement across Korea. Pick TAPIF or NALCAP if you already have French or Spanish and want a lighter teaching load with more free time to travel.
Whichever program you choose, you remain a US taxpayer for the year. Keep pay stubs and contract records for your US return even though Japan, Korea, France, and Spain each withhold their own local taxes and social contributions from your monthly pay.