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Engineering Average Salaries in China 2024

How much money does a person working in Engineering make in China?


Average Monthly Salary
24,800 CNY
( 298,000 CNY yearly)

LOW
7,850
CNY
AVERAGE
24,800
CNY
HIGH
52,300
CNY
All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

A person working in Engineering in China typically earns around 24,800 CNY. Salaries range from 7,850 CNY (lowest average) to 52,300 CNY (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).


Salary Variance

The provided figure represents the median compensation that encompasses housing, transportation, and other perks. The salaries within the Engineering domain in China exhibit significant discrepancies across various professions. In case you seek information about the remuneration of a specific position, please refer to the salaries listed below for respective job titles.

Salaries for specific jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Engineering
3D Printing Engineer22,900 CNY
Acoustics Engineer25,900 CNY
Assembly Engineering Technician19,600 CNY
Assistant Chief Engineer29,700 CNY
Associate Engineer23,100 CNY
AutoCAD Drafter15,400 CNY
Autocad Operator15,900 CNY
Automation Engineer28,600 CNY
Automation Engineer28,500 CNY
Avionic System Support Engineer23,400 CNY
Biochemical Engineer24,500 CNY
BMS Engineer23,300 CNY
Bridge and Lock Tender13,500 CNY
Broadcast Engineer25,100 CNY
CAD Design Engineer26,500 CNY
CAD Designer16,800 CNY
CAE Engineer25,700 CNY
Ceramics Engineer23,000 CNY
Chemical Engineer27,500 CNY
Civil Drafter16,400 CNY
Civil Engineer27,100 CNY
Civil Site Engineer25,700 CNY
Civil Technician15,900 CNY
Cognitive Engineer24,700 CNY
Commissioning Engineer26,300 CNY
Communications Engineer28,900 CNY
Condition Monitoring Engineer22,900 CNY
Contract Associate Engineer24,900 CNY
Contract Engineer23,500 CNY
Control Systems Engineer25,400 CNY
Controls Engineer26,600 CNY
Controls Software Engineer23,800 CNY
Corrosion Engineer23,300 CNY
Design Engineer25,400 CNY
Director of Engineering53,600 CNY
Drafter16,700 CNY
Drafting Manager29,000 CNY
Drilling Engineer25,300 CNY
Drilling Foreman7,940 CNY
Electrical Draughtsman13,300 CNY
Electrical Engineer29,800 CNY
Electrical Engineering Manager36,900 CNY
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist27,600 CNY
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler14,100 CNY
Energy Engineer26,600 CNY
Engine Assembler11,700 CNY
Engineer28,300 CNY
Engineering Account Manager30,700 CNY
Engineering Chief Designer28,400 CNY
Engineering Consultant34,900 CNY
Engineering Key Account Manager37,900 CNY
Engineering Lab Technician25,500 CNY
Engineering Manager35,600 CNY
Engineering Planning Manager35,500 CNY
Engineering Production Manager47,800 CNY
Engineering Project Analyst29,400 CNY
Engineering Project Coordinator 31,400 CNY
Engineering Project Director52,300 CNY
Engineering Project Leader32,900 CNY
Engineering Project Manager37,900 CNY
Engineering Research and Development Manager41,900 CNY
Engineering Safety Coordinator19,400 CNY
Engineering Sales Manager33,700 CNY
Engineering Technician21,000 CNY
Engineering Technologist19,700 CNY
Environmental Engineer24,900 CNY
Equipment Engineer24,200 CNY
Equipment Engineering Manager33,000 CNY
Estimator22,600 CNY
Fabrication Specialist18,000 CNY
Fabricator12,100 CNY
Facade Engineer25,100 CNY
Fiber Analyst15,000 CNY
Field Engineer27,200 CNY
Field Engineering Manager41,800 CNY
Fire Engineer26,400 CNY
Fitter and Turner7,950 CNY
Forestry Strategic Planner31,700 CNY
Generation Engineer25,600 CNY
Genetic Engineer29,500 CNY
Geological Engineer27,700 CNY
Geotechnical Engineer27,600 CNY
Heavy Equipment Mechanic13,600 CNY
Highway Engineer27,000 CNY
HSE Professional25,100 CNY
Human Machine Interface Engineer24,500 CNY
HVAC Engineer27,200 CNY
HVAC Supervisor23,300 CNY
Industrial Engineer25,700 CNY
Industrial Engineering Technologist24,700 CNY
Instrument Engineer24,400 CNY
Instrument Technician14,300 CNY
Instrumentation and Control Engineer24,400 CNY
Instrumentation Designer21,800 CNY
Instrumentation Engineer25,000 CNY
Instrumentation Manager26,600 CNY
Irrigation Engineer24,600 CNY
Licensed Aircraft Engineer28,300 CNY
Locomotive Engineer25,700 CNY
Maintenance Engineer24,800 CNY
Maintenance Fitter9,300 CNY
Maintenance Manager26,800 CNY
Manufacturing Engineer24,000 CNY
Marine Engineer26,200 CNY
Materials Engineer24,200 CNY
Materials Researcher23,600 CNY
Materials Technician19,000 CNY
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer26,600 CNY
Mechanical Design Engineer27,400 CNY
Mechanical Designer23,100 CNY
Mechanical Engineer27,500 CNY
Mechanical Engineering Manager37,800 CNY
Mechanical Inspector25,500 CNY
Mechatronics Engineer26,700 CNY
Mining Engineer24,600 CNY
Nanotechnology Engineer26,900 CNY
Natural Language Processing Engineer27,600 CNY
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer29,000 CNY
Optical Engineer26,300 CNY
Optical Instrument Assembler13,000 CNY
PCB Assembler9,150 CNY
Photonics Engineer27,900 CNY
Photonics Technician23,800 CNY
Pipeline Engineer23,100 CNY
Piping Designer14,300 CNY
Piping Engineer22,800 CNY
Planning Engineer26,900 CNY
Pressure Vessel Inspector12,100 CNY
Principal Cost Engineer26,300 CNY
Principal Engineer25,000 CNY
Principal Support Engineer26,200 CNY
Process Engineer24,900 CNY
Process Operator15,800 CNY
Product Development Engineer27,300 CNY
Product Development Technician18,800 CNY
Product Engineer25,800 CNY
Product Safety Engineer25,400 CNY
Production Engineer26,400 CNY
Project Engineer27,500 CNY
Proposal Manager32,800 CNY
Purchasing Engineer24,100 CNY
Quality Assurance Engineer26,800 CNY
Rail Engineer25,800 CNY
Regional Field Engineer27,000 CNY
Remote Sensing Engineer25,600 CNY
Robotics Engineer28,100 CNY
Robotics Technician21,300 CNY
Safety Engineer26,800 CNY
Safety Inspector21,000 CNY
Safety Manager30,500 CNY
Safety Officer12,900 CNY
Sales Engineer26,600 CNY
Scheduling Engineer23,100 CNY
Security Engineer26,600 CNY
Service Engineer27,100 CNY
Smart Home Engineer28,400 CNY
Solar Engineer26,700 CNY
Staff Engineer25,900 CNY
Static Equipment Engineer25,300 CNY
Stationary Engineer23,500 CNY
Stress Engineer24,700 CNY
Structural Analysis Engineer24,700 CNY
Structural Designer23,400 CNY
Structural Engineer25,800 CNY
Structural Technician16,000 CNY
Subsea Engineer30,800 CNY
Supply Chain Specialist25,200 CNY
Surveyor18,600 CNY
Technical Affairs Officer12,600 CNY
Technical Assistant13,000 CNY
Technical Engineer22,900 CNY
Technical Support Engineer22,900 CNY
Tender Engineer24,200 CNY
Test Development Engineer25,000 CNY
Test Engineer25,900 CNY
Transportation Engineer24,000 CNY
Urban Engineer25,300 CNY
Validation Engineer22,500 CNY
Verification Engineer23,400 CNY
Wastewater Engineer24,500 CNY
Wind Energy Engineer25,500 CNY
Wind Energy Operations Manager34,900 CNY
Wireless Engineer27,100 CNY
Work Planner18,700 CNY


Engineering Jobs Pay Scale and Salaries in China

Median and salary distribution China Engineering monthly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
25,600 CNY or more
10% of people earn
21,200 to 25,600 CNY
20% of people earn
11,400 CNY or less
65% of people earn
11,400 to 21,200 CNY
Minimum Salary
7,850 CNY
Median
22,300 CNY
Maximum
52,300 CNY




Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries in Engineering in China range from 7,850 CNY (starting average salary) to 52,300 CNY (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher). To clarify, the number presented is not the legally mandated minimum wage. Rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that involved thousands of participants and professionals from across the entire country.

  • Median Salary

    The median income in the field of Engineering is 22,300 CNY, implying that half of the workforce in China earns less than this figure, and the other half earns more. It represents the central value of salaries. As a rule of thumb, you would prefer to be part of the group earning above the median wage, situated on the right-hand side of the salary distribution chart.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    Two values that are highly correlated with the median are the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution diagram, it is possible to determine that 25% of individuals employed in Engineering in China earn less than 16,700 CNY, while 75% of them earn more. Additionally, the diagram reveals that 75% of individuals earn less than 27,600 CNY, while 25% earn more than that.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    Data was regrouped into brackets to provide a better understanding of what salaries can be expected. This approach was deemed more accurate than relying solely on the average salary, as it offers greater insights into the distribution of salaries in the field of Engineering in China. The analysis revealed that roughly 65% of all reported salaries fell within the range of 11,400 CNY to 21,200 CNY. Approximately 20% of salaries were below the 11,400 CNY mark, while 10% ranged from 21,200 CNY to 25,600 CNY. Only 5% of individuals earned a gross salary of 25,600 CNY or higher.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience

How does a person's salary progress over time?

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage.

Generally speaking, employees in Engineering in China having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.

Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.

As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.

Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.


Change in salary based on experience varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of many different jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.
On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.


Salary Comparison By Education

How does the education level affect your salary?

Salary Comparison By Education
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Change in salary based on education varies drastically from one location to another and depends hugely on the career field as well. The data displayed here is the combined average of multiple jobs. To view accurate figures, choose a specific job title.

It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income?

We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degree levels across many jobs in Engineering in China, below are our findings.

Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.

Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a certificate or diploma.

Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.

Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.


Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?

A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in China costs anywhere from 147,000 CNY to 441,000 CNY and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.

Employees can't expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming they already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.

Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.

The decision really depends on the situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if a person can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. Degree costs can be recovered roughly in a year or so.



Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Engineering / China

Salary comparison by gender China Engineering monthly
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? In the field of Engineering in China, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 6%.

Male
25,500 CNY
Female-5%
24,100 CNY
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in China for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender monthly China
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Engineering / China

How much are annual salary increments in China for individuals working in Engineering? How often do employees get salary raises?

Professionals working in Engineering in China are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 14 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate China Engineering
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

China / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate China
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The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in China is 7%.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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Salary Packages and Schemes

Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.

Bonus and Incentive Rates / Engineering / China

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate China Engineering
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46% of surveyed staff in Engineering reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 54% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 6% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
54%
No Bonus
46%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.


What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting Cast

Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.

Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.

Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Hourly Average Wage / Engineering / China


140 CNY per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Engineering in China is 140 CNY.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

The minimum pay rate per hour for people working in Engineering in China is 45 CNY. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Beijing28,500 CNY
Changchun23,700 CNY
Changsha22,600 CNY
Chengdu26,000 CNY
Chongqing28,800 CNY
Dalian23,500 CNY
Dongguan22,400 CNY
Foshan22,100 CNY
Fuzhou23,700 CNY
Guangzhou27,500 CNY
Hangzhou27,600 CNY
Harbin26,400 CNY
Jinan27,600 CNY
Kunming22,400 CNY
Nanjing24,900 CNY
Qingdao25,600 CNY
Quanzhou23,300 CNY
Shanghai26,900 CNY
Shantou24,300 CNY
Shenyang25,700 CNY
Shenzhen24,600 CNY
Suzhou23,900 CNY
Tianjin26,100 CNY
Wenzhou24,500 CNY
Wuhan28,400 CNY
Wuxi21,300 CNY
Xi an27,200 CNY
Xiamen22,800 CNY
Zhengzhou22,100 CNY

Salary Comparison By State

StateAverage Salary
Anhui25,700 CNY
Beijing21,200 CNY
Chongqing22,600 CNY
Fujian24,100 CNY
Gansu22,200 CNY
Guangdong27,500 CNY
Guangxi25,100 CNY
Guizhou23,000 CNY
Hainan20,900 CNY
Hebei26,400 CNY
Heilongjiang23,500 CNY
Henan27,200 CNY
Hubei25,800 CNY
Hunan26,300 CNY
Jiangsu26,800 CNY
Jiangxi24,900 CNY
Jilin22,700 CNY
Liaoning24,700 CNY
Nei Monggol22,300 CNY
Ningxia20,800 CNY
Qinghai20,600 CNY
Shaanxi24,000 CNY
Shandong27,700 CNY
Shanghai22,200 CNY
Shanxi23,600 CNY
Sichuan27,300 CNY
Tianjin21,500 CNY
Xinjiang Uygur22,000 CNY
Xizang [Tibet]20,600 CNY
Yunnan25,500 CNY
Zhejiang26,000 CNY

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in China is 6% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
28,600 CNY
Public Sector+6%
30,300 CNY
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary in Engineering in China?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 22,300 CNY and 27,600 CNY. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary for jobs in Engineering in China ranges from 7,850 CNY to 16,700 CNY. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary


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