Average salary in Hong Kong
Gross and take-home pay, by industry and against other countries
Average salary
Take-home / mo
HK$18,100
Gross / yr
HK$249,000
Hong Kong runs on finance and trade, and the pay is high — near the top of Asia and well up the global scale. What sets it apart is how little the taxman takes: you keep almost everything you earn, which makes good money go further than the headline number suggests.
Salaries in Hong Kong by industry
Your field swings your pay sharply here. Public service, finance, and education sit at the top, while everyday services, restaurants, and staffing trail behind. For someone with a built career, the profession you arrive with does a lot of the deciding.
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What you could earn in Hong Kong
Tell us what you do and what you earn today — we'll estimate what someone with your background could earn in Hong Kong, what your living costs might be, and what you could save
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- How it compares with today
Take-home in Hong Kong
HK$10,300/mo
vs HK$9,400 in your country
Cost of living
HK$9,080
vs HK$6,270 in your country
Potential savings
HK$1,180
more than in your country
Standard of living
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How salaries in Hong Kong compare
Hong Kong sits at the top of Asia and out-earns most of the world, just behind the region's very highest. A dense financial center with one of the lightest tax touches anywhere is the reason — the money earned here mostly stays earned.
Data source: Mean monthly earnings 2016 (ILOSTAT), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
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Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Hong Kong?
The average salary in Hong Kong is HK$20,800 a month before tax, or HK$18,100 take-home after tax and social contributions. Over a year that's HK$249,000 before tax and HK$217,000 after.
What is the average salary in Hong Kong in US dollars?
The average salary in Hong Kong in US dollars is about $31,800 a year before tax, or $2,305 a month after tax.
What salary do you need to live comfortably in Hong Kong?
A typical person in Hong Kong spends about HK$21,300 a month, while the average take-home pay is HK$18,100. 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 Hong Kong for the full picture.
What are the highest-paying jobs in Hong Kong?
The highest-paying jobs in Hong Kong are in public sector, finance, and education. Take-home pay in these industries averages around HK$36,100 a month (about HK$498,000 gross a year), roughly 100% above the national average.
What are the lowest-paying jobs in Hong Kong?
Staffing is the lowest-paying industry in Hong Kong. Pay there averages around HK$11,700 a month take-home (about HK$161,000 gross a year). For comparison, the highest-paying industries pay about 3.1 times more.
What is a good salary in Hong Kong?
A good salary in Hong Kong is generally one above the national average — more than HK$18,100 take-home a month, or HK$249,000 gross a year. But a lot depends on your spending, where you live, and your financial goals.
Is Hong Kong a high-salary country?
Yes. By average after-tax pay, Hong Kong is ahead of 83% of countries worldwide and ranks 3rd out of 30 countries in Asia.
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Living in Hong Kong
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