MigrantoAverage salary in China
Gross and take-home pay, by industry and against other countries
Average salary
Take-home / mo
CN¥5,020
Gross / yr
CN¥75,200
China is a vast, fast-moving economy where a real career can earn a comfortable middle income — solid by world standards, and squarely in the broad middle of Asia. Tax leaves most of your pay in your pocket, so what you negotiate is close to what you keep.
Salaries in China by industry
Here the field you work in does a lot of the deciding. Tech, finance, and the professional and scientific roles sit well above farming, hospitality, and the catch-all service jobs — so a settled professional in the right field can earn far more than the headline number suggests. The work you already do matters as much as the country you do it in.
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What you could earn in China
Tell us what you do and what you earn today — we'll estimate what someone with your background could earn in China, what your living costs might be, and what you could save
- What someone in your field earns
- What you could spend and save
- How it compares with today
Take-home in China
CN¥3,810/mo
vs CN¥8,140 in your country
Cost of living
CN¥1,210
vs CN¥5,430 in your country
Potential savings
CN¥2,590
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How salaries in China compare
China lands in the middle of Asia and in the middle of the world — it out-earns much of the planet without reaching the top tier. That reflects an economy that has grown into real prosperity for skilled work but still spreads a huge range of livelihoods underneath it.
Data source: Mean monthly earnings 2022 (ILOSTAT), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in China?
The average salary in China is CN¥6,270 a month before tax, or CN¥5,020 take-home after tax and social contributions. Over a year that's CN¥75,200 before tax and CN¥60,200 after.
What is the average salary in China in US dollars?
The average salary in China in US dollars is about $11,088 a year before tax, or $740 a month after tax.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in China?
A typical person in China spends about CN¥2,670 a month, while the average take-home pay is CN¥5,020. How much you need to live comfortably depends on the city, your family situation, and how you usually spend. See the cost of living in China for the full picture.
What are the highest-paying jobs in China?
The highest-paying jobs in China are in IT, finance, and professional. Take-home pay in these industries averages around CN¥9,520 a month (about CN¥143,000 gross a year), roughly 90% above the national average.
What are the lowest-paying jobs in China?
Agriculture is the lowest-paying industry in China. Pay there averages around CN¥3,280 a month take-home (about CN¥49,100 gross a year). For comparison, the highest-paying industries pay about 2.9 times more.
What is a good salary in China?
A good salary in China is generally one above the national average — more than CN¥5,020 take-home a month, or CN¥75,200 gross a year. But a lot depends on your spending, where you live, and your financial goals.
Is China a high-salary country?
Moderately. By average after-tax pay, China is ahead of 52% of countries worldwide and ranks 11th out of 30 countries in Asia.
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Living in China
See the full country overview