Teacher motivation has often been studied using broad frameworks that overlook generational traits and rural educational contexts. This study explores how altruistic, intrinsic, and extrinsic motivations influence Gen Z English pre-service teachers’ decisions to pursue teaching in the resource-limited educational setting of West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Using a qualitative approach, data were gathered through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 56 Gen Z pre-service teachers and analyzed through an interactive process of data reduction, display, and conclusion drawing. The results reveal a layered motivational structure. Altruistic motivation is identified as the main driver, driven by a strong moral commitment to community service and reducing educational disparities. Intrinsic motivation develops gradually through teacher education, reflective learning, and the development of professional identity, serving as a key factor in sustained career commitment. Extrinsic motivation plays a secondary role, mainly as a contextual factor related to job security and work conditions. These findings challenge the stereotype of Gen Z as primarily extrinsically motivated and emphasize the need for context-aware, value-driven approaches to understanding teacher motivation in underprivileged educational settings.