In 2025, the minimum hourly wage in Beijing was the highest in China at 26.4 yuan per hour. In the past decade, China has been shifting from a cheap labor driven economy to more matured, service-oriented markets and industries. While the economy continues to grow, prices and wages keep on increasing as well. How do wages differ across the country? China’s provinces and municipalities are divided into districts of different levels. Most provinces set different minimum wages for different districts depending on the cost of living and level of development. Usually, provincial capitals and major cities enjoy higher hourly wages than smaller towns and rural areas of the same province. In 2025, the highest minimum hourly wages in China were to be found in Beijing and Tianjin municipalities with 26.4 and 24.4 yuan respectively, whereas employees in Hainan province who received a minimum wage were paid the least – between 16.3 and 17.9 yuan per hour. Minimum monthly wages that year were the highest in Shanghai and the lowest in Qinghai province. The average annual salary in urban China was around 120,700 yuan in 2023. What are the prospects? Regional governments in China are required to update their minimum wages at least every few years. Hebei, Fujian, and Guangdong – provinces that have not adjusted minimum wages in the past two years – are likely to do so in 2025. Along with economic development, increasing living standards, increasing prices and a shrinking labor force, overall minimum wages will likely continue growing in China.

Wages in China increased to 120698 CNY/Year in 2023 from 114029 CNY/Year in 2022. This dataset provides - China Average Yearly Wages - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

China is the largest labor force market in the world. China’s economic prosperity wouldn’t exist without the large number of people working in this country. With increasing living standards and growing inflation, the wages of employees in China are increasing as well. As of 2022, average wages in China increased to ******* yuan from ****** yuan in 2012. Wage gap between regions The wages vary in China depending on sector, position, gender and region like in any other country. Since China’s different regions have developed unequally, the wage gaps between people working in different regions can also be very large. This is a reason for no single minimum wage being set for the entire nation. The local governments set minimum wages based on local living standards. Considering the city tier, the wage standards are higher in cities with higher rankings. ******** and ******* have the highest minimum wage standards in China. Although the minimum wages in China have been increasing, the standards are still lower than in developed countries. Challenges of increasing labor costs Increasing wages also make the labor force market less attractive. Affected by increasing labor costs and the China-United States trade war, many companies are transferring their investment destinations, especially in the manufacturing sector. Local governments are also taking measures to ensure the living costs remain at a reasonable level to retain companies and employees. These measures include regulating the residential housing market more strictly.

Wages in Manufacturing in China increased to 103932 CNY/Year in 2023 from 97528 CNY/Year in 2022. This dataset provides - China Average Yearly Wages in Manufacturing - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2023, an employee working for a not privately held company or organization in urban areas of China earned around ******* yuan annually on average. That year, the year-on-year growth rate of the average salary ranged at *** percent nominally and *** percent real. Regional differences in salary levels Salary levels in urban China have seen a significant rise between 2013 and 2023. During that period, average annual salaries of employees in non-private urban units have grown from around ****** to ******* yuan per year. Yet as of 2022, large income disparities still existed between different regions in China. While employees in Shanghai enjoyed the highest annual salaries on average, Henan province and Jilin province in central and northeastern China displayed the lowest average annual salaries. Regions with lower income levels are mainly located in central China or in the former centers of steel and heavy industry in Northeast China, whereas the coastal regions and municipalities in general still provide comparatively higher salaries. Occupational salary differences Moreover, a considerable salary discrepancy exists between different occupational groups in China. As of 2023, people working in IT services were atop the list earning about ******* yuan per year on average, whereas people in the financial service sector reached approximately ******* yuan. The hotels and catering sector ranked at the lower end with an average annual salary of around ****** yuan.

Key information about China Monthly Earnings

• China Monthly Earnings stood at 1,392 USD in Dec 2023, compared with the previous figure of 1,336 USD in Dec 2022
• China Monthly Earnings data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2000 to Dec 2023, with an average number of 349 USD
• The data reached the an all-time high of 1,393 USD in Dec 2021 and a record low of 83 USD in Jun 2000

CEIC calculates Monthly Earnings from quarterly Earnings divided by 3 and converts it into USD. The National Bureau of Statistics provides year-to-date Average Wage in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Monthly Earnings cover urban population only.


Further information about China Monthly Earnings

• In the latest reports, China Population reached 1,410 million people in Dec 2023
• Unemployment Rate of China dropped to 5 % in Jun 2024
• The country's Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 66 % in Dec 2023

This statistic shows the average yearly wages in the manufacturing sector in China from 2012 to 2022. In 2022, the average wages in manufacturing in China increased to approximately 97,500 yuan from 92,500 yuan in the previous year.

Minimum Wages in China increased to 2690 CNY/Month in 2025 from 2590 CNY/Month in 2024. This dataset provides - China Minimum Wages- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The statistic shows the average annual salary of employees working for privately held companies and entities in urban China between 2013 and 2023, by geographic region. In 2023, the average income of an urban private employee working in West China ranged at approximately ****** yuan per year.

MHW: Real Estate Activities data was reported at 98.400 HKD in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 95.800 HKD for 2023. MHW: Real Estate Activities data is updated yearly, averaging 86.850 HKD from Jun 2011 (Median) to 2024, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98.400 HKD in 2024 and a record low of 69.300 HKD in 2011. MHW: Real Estate Activities data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census and Statistics Department. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR (China) – Table HK.G100: Median Hourly Wage.

Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Service and Sales Workers data was reported at 1.000 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of -0.200 % for 2020. Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Service and Sales Workers data is updated yearly, averaging 4.450 % from Jun 2012 (Median) to 2021, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.100 % in 2013 and a record low of -0.200 % in 2020. Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Service and Sales Workers data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census and Statistics Department. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR (China) – Table HK.G100: Median Hourly Wage.

China Average Wage: SOU: Manufacturing data was reported at 109,987.000 RMB in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 118,127.000 RMB for 2022. China Average Wage: SOU: Manufacturing data is updated yearly, averaging 9,072.000 RMB from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2023, with 46 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 118,127.000 RMB in 2022 and a record low of 663.000 RMB in 1978. China Average Wage: SOU: Manufacturing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Labour Market – Table CN.GC: Average Wage: by Industry: Urban State Owned Unit.

This graph shows average wages around the world in 2012 as calculated by purchasing power parity. In 2012 the highest average wage was earned in Luxembourg at 4,089 purchasing power parity dollars. Wages and salaries Wages and salaries in the United States have increased during the last decades. The median weekly earnings of a full-time wage and salary worker were about 241 U.S. dollars in 1979 and shifted up to 768 U.S. dollars in 2012.

The median earnings of U.S. full-time wage and salary workers vary across their educational attainment. The highest paid workers are those who hold a bachelor’s degree, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The U.S. federal government specified minimum wage laws for workers in the United States, which say that workers must be paid no less than the current federal minimum wage. The minimum wage was set at 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour by federal law. The actual minimum wage varies from state to state, as some states have additional minimum wage laws.

For instance, the minimum wage in Washington was around 9.04 U.S. dollars per hour, while the worst minimum wage can be found in Georgia, where workers earn at least 5.15 U.S. dollars per hour. No minimum wages can be found in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Mississippi, as of January 1, 2012.

The number of workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the minimum wage in the U.S. was at its highest in the industry type of leisure and hospitality in 2013.

Recent statistics show that the share of female workers paid hourly rates at or below prevailing federal minimum wage in the United States decreased since 1979. In that year, 20.2 percent of the female wage and salary workers were paid below the federal minimum wage, while only 2.9 percent of the female workers were paid below the federal minimum wage in 2006.

Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: Craft & Related Workers, Plant & Mach Oprs & Assemblers data was reported at 92.000 HKD in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 90.700 HKD for 2020. Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: Craft & Related Workers, Plant & Mach Oprs & Assemblers data is updated yearly, averaging 77.800 HKD from Jun 2011 (Median) to 2021, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 92.000 HKD in 2021 and a record low of 54.400 HKD in 2011. Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: Craft & Related Workers, Plant & Mach Oprs & Assemblers data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census and Statistics Department. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR (China) – Table HK.G100: Median Hourly Wage.

This dataset provides values for MINIMUM WAGES reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Craft & Related Workers, Plant & Mach Oprs & Assemblers data was reported at 1.400 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.000 % for 2020. Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Craft & Related Workers, Plant & Mach Oprs & Assemblers data is updated yearly, averaging 5.550 % from Jun 2012 (Median) to 2021, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.000 % in 2015 and a record low of 1.400 % in 2021. Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Craft & Related Workers, Plant & Mach Oprs & Assemblers data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census and Statistics Department. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR (China) – Table HK.G100: Median Hourly Wage.

Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Administrative and Support Services Activities data was reported at 1.100 % in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.400 % for 2019. Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Administrative and Support Services Activities data is updated yearly, averaging 4.200 % from Jun 2012 (Median) to 2020, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.400 % in 2013 and a record low of 1.100 % in 2020. Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Administrative and Support Services Activities data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census and Statistics Department. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR (China) – Table HK.G100: Median Hourly Wage.

Based on China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data from 2012 to 2020, we estimate the effect of the "Universal Two-Child" (UTC) policy on women’s employment income in China by the Difference-in-Difference (DID) model. Our results show that the UTC policy leads to an average decrease of 20.86% in women’s employment income. Moreover, we reveal the mediation effect in the impact of the UTC policy on women’s income and find that the UTC policy leads to a decrease in women’s income by reducing their working hours and hourly wages. Furthermore, we find that the negative impacts of the UTC policy on women’s employment income are greater among women under 35 years old and those without a bachelor’s degree.

In 2018, manufacturing labor costs in China were estimated to be **** U.S. dollars per hour. This is compared to an estimated **** U.S. dollars per hour in Mexico, and **** U.S. dollars in Vietnam. Manufacturing jobs in the United States Many people in the United States believe manufacturing jobs to be the backbone of the U.S. economy, despite employment in the manufacturing sector decreasing since 1997, and the monthly change in manufacturing employment being highly variable. Although manufacturing added a value of about ** percent to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) in 2018, employment in the United States has been moving away from manufacturing to other means of employment. A difference in earnings Part of this steering away from manufacturing could be due to a difference in labor costs. While hourly wages in Vietnam were less than * U.S. dollars in 2018, hourly wages in the U.S. manufacturing sector hovered around ** U.S. dollars in 2018. The labor costs in the U.S. could simply be too high for companies, who look to countries such as China, Mexico, and Vietnam for cheaper labor.

Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Age 25 to 34 data was reported at 1.600 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.500 % for 2020. Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Age 25 to 34 data is updated yearly, averaging 4.500 % from Jun 2012 (Median) to 2021, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.400 % in 2013 and a record low of 1.500 % in 2020. Hong Kong SAR (China) MHW: YoY: Age 25 to 34 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Census and Statistics Department. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR (China) – Table HK.G100: Median Hourly Wage.