Average salary in China
What people take home per month and earn per year, by industry and against other countries
Wages in China
80% of gross pay stays in hand after income tax and employee contributions
Per employee, all industries
Take-home / mo
CN¥5,020
Gross / yr
CN¥75,200
Salaries in China by industry
Take-home pay by industry against the national average
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Key facts
Salaries in China in numbers
Pays 5.5× what its neighbour Myanmar pays
CN¥5,020 a month here against CN¥909 in Myanmar, the widest gap to any neighbouring country.
IT & communication pays the most, and by an unusual margin
It averages CN¥9,520 a month, +90% against the national average, where the same industry usually sits at +47%.
Industries pay 2.9× apart
Agriculture & fishing sits at the bottom on CN¥3,280 a month, against a national average of CN¥5,020.
Agriculture & fishing is where the country places highest
It ranks #28 of 105 in the world, while China ranks #82 of 169 on pay overall.
Pays well above the middle in Asia
CN¥5,020 a month against CN¥3,090 for the middle country in Asia.
How salaries in China compare
Neighbours, region and the world on the same take-home figure
Industries against the world
Where this country pays an industry more, or less, than that industry is usually paid
Pays more than usual here
- IT & communication+90% here, usually +47%
- Finance & insurance+69% here, usually +57%
- Manufacturing+3% here, usually -6%
Pays less than usual here
- Education-19% here, usually +16%
- Real estate-14% here, usually +5%
- Mining & quarrying+5% here, usually +24%
“Usually” is what the same industry pays above or below the national average in a typical country
Data source: Mean monthly earnings 2022 (ILOSTAT), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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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
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- 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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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 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 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.
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 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.
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.
Where to live?
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Living in China
See the full country overview