Job Discussion Forums

paulmanser · Joined: 28 Nov 2005 Posts: 403

I just want to know the average salary in China. In RMB that is.

They say that 6000RMB is your expected salary for the TEFL newbie. What about your average Chinaman joe?

latefordinner · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 973

Are you coming to China to wait tables, or as a professional?

paulmanser · Joined: 28 Nov 2005 Posts: 403

Just interested in the average salary.

You know, compare your TEFL salary with the Chinese. Smile

paulmanser · Joined: 28 Nov 2005 Posts: 403

From Thrifty perspective, it depends if you count a TEFL career as professional.

Do you know university courses include BA in wine studies now?

KarenB · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 227 Location: Hainan

The average salary for the Chinese Joe on the street is 1000 RMB a month. This would be for across China -- of course, salaries are usually higher in places like Shenzhen and Shanghai.

When we were in Sichuan, our good friend who was a Petroleum Engineer with about 10 years experience in addition to his education was making 1100 RMB a month. His wife, who was simply a worker in the same refinery was making more, because she was working 3rd shift, and in more dangerous work.

At my school in Hainan, the Chinese teachers start at about 1000 RMB a month. Teachers who have been here for about 15 years, and especially those with additional administrative responsibility and higher education are making salaries that approach 3000 RMB.

Now, I must mention that in addition to the "base" salary, most schools and companies give additional bonuses throughout the year -- for instance, at National Day, Chinese New Year, and so forth. The bonuses can range from around 300 RMB to 1000 RMB -- so this raises the annual salary a bit.

Also, most Chinese do some kind of moonlighting. I would guess that the average Chinese single person is probably bringing home about 2000 RMB once you count in bonuses and moonlighting income.

Next question -- can you live on that? Very easily. My family of 4 lives on about 3000 RMB a month, and we put all the rest in the bank for traveling. We go to Thailand every Spring Festival and to the U.S. every summer. Of course, we don't eat much Western food (which can get pretty expensive), we don't own a car, and we don't drink a lot. We do eat out a lot, but in moderately priced restaurants (we can get a pretty nice meal for 4 or 5 people for around 50 yuan in a fairly nice restaurant).

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

Middle school teacher salary is 700 rmb per month across China.

xinpu · Joined: 07 Nov 2005 Posts: 61 Location: Nanjing

Chinese teachers often are paid according to the number of hours they teach - therefore if your class has finished for the term then you either get another class or get paid less.

On average in Middle / High school (here in Nanjing at least) the teachers will work around 12 teaching hours per week for RMB 2,000. However they will be expected to attend a lot of meetings (4 days out of 5 usually) which brings the per hour ratio down a bit.

Overtime is often paid for weekend work (envigilating exams etc) and that clocks in at a measly 150 for the day. Teachers also get paid piece work for marking exams (RMB 3 Yuan per paper as I understand it)

For college Uni I think it's around the same (certainly at mine it is)...although I beleive you can get your pay reduced for any number of reasons (letting class go early, poor feedback etc).

90% of my colleagues work other jobs to supplement their income.

We (comparitavely) have it easy with ou 4-5000..accomodation light working load and free accomodation. On the flip side the schools are never prepared to give you any additional responsibilities so...they can hardly complain can they?

clomper · Joined: 07 Oct 2003 Posts: 251 Location: Beijing

I have a Chinese friend who teaches at a uni in Zhanjiang. Her teaching position is a lecturer and she's earning Y3500 a month as base salary + bonus for every class she teaches.

Another friend of mine teaches at a middle school and her base salary is Y2000. They get one month bonus for Spring Festival.

mondrian · Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 5:22 am Post subject:

At my Uni a new teacher earns about 2,500RMB a month NET basic; a 15yrs in the post senior teacher about 4,500RMB NET. What that includes in extras, and with things like tax taken out, I don't know. Bonuses? another hidden extra into their pay packets. In the Middle School I taught at, the basic monthly money was 700RMB for an experienced teacher, but always bumped up to more that 1,000RMB every month and over 2,500RMB at Spring Festival. Very few teachers (if any) just earned a basic salary.
It was the same in Korea. A University Professor earns about 900,000 won basic monthly salary but takes home between 2,500,000 and 4,000,000 won depending on: the time of year(Festival bonuses); how many meals he has had; how much paper he has used; how far is his home (gas alloowance); etc.
Also there are many "one-off" fee payments to be gained (such as for a speech or writing contest); marking of examination papers; translation (a big joke!)

Asia is another world!

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

The longer I am in CHina the less I hear talk of "median wages". The longer China is experimenting with a free market economy the wider the incomes chasm is growing.
I know Chinese university graduates who teach English for under 2000 yuan, and I know Chinese teachers that make 7500 at a public university.

I meet people that get by on 1000 a month plus housing and free food, but what is that in a big city like Guangzhou? It's not good here but it would be more than decent in the SHanxi countryside.

Outside Shenzhen blue-collar workers toil 48 hours a week and make less than 1000 a month. In Shenzhen city, the prices for homes have gone through the roof and a local guy has set up a website in which he is exhorting fellow Shenzheners to boycott the sales of housing units until the prices reach affordable levels again.

THere are beggars that refuse to earn a living in an honest way because they feel it's not worth the trouble; begging is more lucrative.

Then there are those scumbags that salt ill-gotten revenue away and sneak out of the country to live off their fruit - such as Lai Changxing who is going to be re-exported from Canada to China to spend a maximum of twelve years in prison for embezzling over one billion in yuan of state funds (customs duties). Not so long ago, anyone who stole or swindled 100'000 yuan would be shot.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

lollercauster · Joined: 18 Mar 2006 Posts: 418 Location: Inside-Out NYC

Jizzo T. Clown · Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 2:22 pm Post subject:

I knew a guy who worked in management for Dell in Beijing, and he brought home a paltry 2,500 yuan/month. Why bother becoming a professional when a beggar could bring in the same amount?

also...

Judging by the way blue collars dress (shoveling snow/dirt while wearing a two or three piece suit), they must make a pretty decent salary by Chinese standards.