China Average Salaries & Expenditures

 
Contents
Average Employment Income   Average Salary per Job   Average Salary per Sector   Total Personal Average Income   Consumption Expenditure
Workforce Composition   Vacation Time   Exchange Rates   Cost of Living   References
 

Average Employment Income

:
annual, per worker, incl. dependent & self employment
   Disposable   Gross    
2004 rural+urban
4,325
7,942
  
4,397
8,075
 (1) 
constant 2005 US$ at PPP
current yuans
2004 urban
7,392
13,574
  
7,947
14,594
 (2) 
  
(1)    Based on salary & business personal income and proportion of workforce to total population.
(2)    Based on salary & business personal income and proportion of employed per urban household.
Source: China Statistical Yearbook [30].
 
 

Average Salary in China - Job and Sector Comparison.

Job  Net Monthly Income  constant 2005 US$ (1) Notes                                                                               Gross Monthly Average Income (2) Compulsory Deductions (3)  
 
Airline Pilot average salary PPP $ 3,249 $ 761 Employees, 2005. 6,844 yuans 9%
Engineer average salary PPP $ 1,076 $ 252 Employees, power distribution and transmission engineer, 2005. 2,243 yuans 8%
Computer Programmer average salary PPP $ 1,075 $ 252 Employees, public administration, 2005. 2,239 yuans 8%
Postman average salary PPP $ 1,008 $ 236 Employees, 2005. Employees. 2,101 yuans 8%
Professional Nurse average salary PPP $ 799 $ 187 Employees, 2005. 1,664 yuans 8%
Office Clerk average salary PPP $ 766 $ 179 Employees, 2005. 1,596 yuans 8%
Accountant average salary PPP $ 704 $ 165 Employees, 2005. 1,466 yuans 8%
Flight Attendant average salary PPP $ 627 $ 147 Employees, 2005. 1,307 yuans 8%
Miner average salary PPP $ 620 $ 145 Employees, other mining and quarrying industry, 2005. 1,291 yuans 8%
Firefighter average salary PPP $ 560 $ 131 Employees, 2005. 1,166 yuans 8%
Carpenter average salary PPP $ 544 $ 127 Employees, 2005. 1,133 yuans 8%
Bus Driver average salary PPP $ 520 $ 122 Bus conductor. Employees, 2005. 1,083 yuans 8%
Car Mechanic average salary PPP $ 519 $ 122 Employees, 2005. 1,082 yuans 8%
Furniture Finisher average salary PPP $ 505 $ 118 Employees, 2005. 1,052 yuans 8%
Hotel Receptionist average salary PPP $ 480 $ 113 Employees, 2005. 1,001 yuans 8%
Garment Cutter average salary PPP $ 453 $ 106 Employees, 2005. 944 yuans 8%
Wood Grinder average salary PPP $ 414 $ 97 Employees, 2005. 863 yuans 8%
Chambermaid average salary PPP $ 413 $ 97 Employees, 2005. 861 yuans 8%
Baker average salary PPP $ 324 $ 76 Employees, 2005. 676 yuans 8%
Sector              
Financial average income PPP $ 1,127 $ 258 Employees, 2004. State-owned units, urban collective-owned units and other ownership units. 2,249 yuans 8%
Gas-Electricity-Water average income PPP $ 910 $ 208 Employees, 2004. State-owned units, urban collective-owned units and other ownership units. 1,817 yuans 8%
Real Estate average income PPP $ 781 $ 179 Employees, 2004. State-owned units, urban collective-owned units and other ownership units. 1,559 yuans 8%
Transport-Communication average income PPP $ 768 $ 176 Employees, 2004. State-owned units, urban collective-owned units and other ownership units. 1,532 yuans 8%
Mining-Quarrying average income PPP $ 704 $ 161 Mining only. Employees, 2004. State-owned units, urban collective-owned units and other ownership units. 1,406 yuans 8%
Education average income PPP $ 679 $ 155 Employees, 2004. State-owned units, urban collective-owned units and other ownership units. 1,356 yuans 8%
All Sectors average income PPP $ 669 $ 153 Employees, 2004. State-owned units, urban collective-owned units and other ownership units. 1,335 yuans 8%
Manufacturing average income PPP $ 586 $ 134 Employees, 2004. State-owned units, urban collective-owned units and other ownership units. 1,169 yuans 8%
Construction average income PPP $ 533 $ 122 Employees, 2004. State-owned units, urban collective-owned units and other ownership units. 1,064 yuans 8%
 
  (1) The net average income in "constant 2005 US$" is computed using the Interbank nominal exchange rate [a] and the U.S. inflation rate [d]. The net average income in "constant 2005 US$" at PPP is computed using the IMF PPP exchange rate [d] and the U.S. inflation rate [d]. The latter reflects the purchasing power in the United States in 2005.
  (2) The gross monthly average income is based on data supplied by the National Bureau of Statistics of China to the International Labour Organization [9]. The average income includes the salaries and wages of paid employees. Employees include both men and women unless otherwise noted.
  (3) The compulsory deductions reflect the 2004 income tax rates in China. The deductions include social security and income tax. The deductions are representative of single-earner-married-without-child status, and take into account family benefits in terms of cash transfers.
  (4) The weekly hours are based on data supplied by the National Bureau of Statistics of China to the International Labour Organization [9]. The hours by job and by sector correspond to the hours actually worked.
 
 
 
 

Personal Average Income

:
annual, per capita, incl. non-monetary income
   Disposable   Gross   Salary   Business   Property   Transfer     
2004 rural+urban (1)
3,029
5,563
  
 
1,901
3,491
  
675
1,239
  
60
111
  
549
1,009
  
constant 2005 US$ at PPP
current yuans
2004 rural
1,599
2,936
  
 
543
998
  
951
1,746
  
42
77
  
63
116
  
2004 urban
5,131
9,422
  
5,516
10,129
  
3,895
7,153
  
269
494
  
88
161
  
1,264
2,321
  
2000 urban
3,891
6,280
  
 
 
 
 
 
1990 urban
2,013
1,510
  
 
 
 
 
 
1980 urban
1,109
478
  
 
 
 
 
 
(1)    59.5% of the population is rural (2003) [30].
Source: China Statistical Yearbook [30], 2003, 2005.
 

Consumption Expenditure

:
annual, per capita, incl. non-monetary expenditure
   Total   Health   Housing (1)  Food   Apparel   Education   Transport (2)    
2004 rural+urban(3)
2,292
4,209
  
159
292
  
440
808
  
932
1,712
  
191
350
  
 
249
457
  
constant 2005 US$ at PPP
current yuans
2004 rural
1,190
2,185
  
71
131
  
225
413
  
562
1,032
  
65
120
  
 
105
193
  
2004 urban
3,911
7,182
  
288
528
  
756
1,389
  
1,476
2,710
  
374
687
  
 
460
844
  
2000 urban
3,097
4,998
  
197
318
  
582
939
  
1,221
1,971
  
310
500
  
 
265
427
  
1995 urban
2,473
3,538
  
77
110
  
382
547
  
1,239
1,772
  
335
479
  
 
128
183
  
1990 urban
1,705
1,279
  
35
26
  
225
169
  
925
694
  
228
171
  
 
55
41
  
(1)    incl. water, electricity, fuel, household facilities, articles, and services, and other housing expenses;
(2)    incl. communication and post.
(3)    59.5% of the population is rural (2003) [30].
Source: China Statistical Yearbook [30], 2003, 2005.
 

Workforce Composition

:
percentage of total workforce
   Primary (1)  Manufacturing   Education   Financial   Paid Employees   Unemployed  
2005 44.9   11.3       14.4    
%
(1)    Agriculture, hunting, forestry, fishing, mining, and quarrying.
Source: International Labour Organization [9].
 

Workforce Size

 :  
737 million (2005).
Source:   International Labour Organization [9].
 

Population

 :  
1,314 million.
Source:   CIA World Factbook [b].
 

Vacation Time

 :  
None legally required [e].
 

Inflation

 :  
27.74 (1980), 54.53 (1990), 100.0 (1995), 109.3 (2000), 110.1 (2001), 109.2 (2002), 110.5 (2003), 114.9 (2004), 118.4 (2005);
Source:   IMF inflation rates [d], Index: 1995=100.
 

PPP Exchange Rate

 :  
1.021 (1980), 1.120 (1990), 1.831 (1995), 1.828 (2000), 1.822 (2001), 1.801 (2002), 1.813 (2003), 1.891 (2004), 1.917 (2005);
Source:   IMF PPP exchange rates [d], yuans per U.S. dollar.
 

Nominal Exchange Rate

 :  
8.349 (1995), 8.278 (2000), 8.274 (2001), 8.264 (2002), 8.264 (2003), 8.264 (2004), 8.182 (2005);
Source:   Interbank nominal exchange rates [a], yuans per U.S. dollar.
 

Cost of Living

 :  
0.229 (1995), 0.218 (2000), 0.216 (2001), 0.213 (2002), 0.214 (2003), 0.215 (2004), 0.217 (2005);
Source:   Interbank nominal exchange rates [a] and IMF PPP exchange rates [d], US=1.000.
 

 

References
 
[9]   International Labour Organization. Compilation of average salary income worldwide. Classified by country, by employment category, and by gender.
[30]   National Bureau of Statistics of China.
[a]   Interbank nominal exchange rate, Oanda.com; historical currency converter for over 164 currencies and 3 metals.
[b]   CIA World Factbook.
[d]   World Economic Outlook Database, September 2006, International Monetary Fund.
[e]   Vacation - Wikipedia, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
 
Other links:
Social Security in China, Social Security Programs Throughout the World, 2004-2005, compiled by the U.S. Social Security Administration.
China Economy Overview, CIA World Factbook.
China: Selected Internet Resources, U.S. Library of Congress.
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