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Volunteer Teacher Pay
Peace Corps Volunteer Teacher Pay
You're not going to profit from being a Peace Corps Volunteer unless you completely
penny-pinch your meager stipend. (I remember one Peace Corps Volunteer teacher who spent a week making a fullbody-
hooded-duct-taped-blanket suit, just so he wouldn't have to turn on the heat). Your
housing is paid for. Your health insurance needs are completely taken care of (including for
18 months after you complete service). You receive a monthly living allowance supposedly
compatible with the local salary. In both of my teaching assignments, in different countries and 10
years apart, my stipend was something like $240 per month, which was certainly enough to
cover my basic needs and even a few "wants."
In addition, upon returning to the states as a peace corps volunteer you will receive a "readjustment allowance" of $7,425 (pre-tax) when you complete
your 27-month service. Many volunteers put this money toward a car or rent when they
return home, others use it to travel as they leave their post.
For one year after your Peace Corps service, you have non-competitive eligibility for Federal
Jobs in America, which means your application moves closer to the front of the line if you want to work
for the government. I took advantage of this benefit after both of my Peace Corps
assignments. But to many Peace Corps volunteers, the most valuable benefit of service is that
Peace Corps shines on a resume, particularly for teacher volunteers, or anyone in the education field. As a Peace Corps volunteer, you will have
accumulated a variety of experiences you can share during an interview. A 27-month
investment is worth a lifetime of return.
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