I was wondering what an average salary for a teaching assistant in a kindergarten / international school for full time would be. I checked the salary calculator already, but would like to know from first hand experience too!

Thank you!

Are you 'trained' or 'untrained' ?

Do you have university level qualifications ?

Honours BA in English from a Canadian University, TESOL Certificate from a Canadian University and 5 years of teaching experience, including 1,5 year working as a teacher in an international school in Geneva and 7 months as a teacher in a kindergarten in Zurich.

So you will be effectively working below your qualifications ? will they be expecting you to take control and run the class, or work unsupervised ?

Are you working in your 'mother tongue' ?

International schools usually have a salary scale. They put you on it and that's it. There is littlre room for variation or negociation. Or does the Zurich school give salaries with no controle strucutres? I know it's a private school but still... they are well organized people.
Teaching assistent is not teacher, remember.

Well it's hard to say. I'm have no proper Primary or Kindergarten Qualifications, although I do have experience. Yes, the work would be in my 'mother tongue'.

I know about the scale as that's how it was in my previous job at school and I know more or less the salaries for teachers, but not for teaching assistants. I have a good salary now, so it will be probably less but the working conditions / hours and vacations may be better:-)

Any numbers?

It's really hard to estimate... I'd say for an untrained position if you have been offered more than 4500 per month, in a childcare setting, you'd be doing well...on the other hand the 'base' salary for any job - minimum liveable wage is somewhere around 3500 - 4000 per month...upwards of 20chf an hour.

Practicants and trainees (apprentices) get around 1000 per month...that's a 'training' wage...

Thank you Swisspea!

For teaching assistent, no formal qualitifation, private school, I'd say less than 50.000 would show it's a cheap school. More than 60.000 would be an interesting school.

@Marz: Is your qualification from Canada as a primary school teacher accepted here in Switzerland though?

Alpine Fan, the problem is I didn't do teachers' college in Canada even though I was accepted. I really regret it now. I know of Canadian teachers working for international schools.