Salaries for experienced and skilled employees in China are expected to rise between 8% – 15% in 2016 from a year ago. Leader in mid-senior level recruitment, ZW HR Consulting has announced the launch of China Salary Guide for 2016-17.

As one of the most trusted, award winning and longest standing recruitment firms in China, ZW HR Consulting aims to provide employers and jobseekers alike with a comparative overview of salaries throughout China.

The guide is based on recently discovered changes in salary patterns within the diverse fields of Accounting, Banking & Finance, Aerospace & Engineering, Chemical & Energy, Consumer Goods, Human Resources, IT&T, Legal, Life Sciences, Manufacturing & Supply Chain and Real Estate– areas in which ZW HR Consulting has built a strong foothold in, with regards to executive recruitment.

According to ZW HR Consulting, a shortage of workers with both strong technical and business skills have caused employers to scramble, whilst also increasing the demand for professionals with specific abilities. 

The salary guide provides details of the salary and remuneration trends and expectations in the China market over 2016.

• Annual Increase in pay from 8-15%,to as high as 25% across sectors
• The salary guide anticipates stable hiring levels in 2016-17 as the recruitment market continues to mature and evolve.
• More companies searching internally for talent, with internal mobility on the rise.
• The IT sector will continue to outperform and act as a key driver for growth in 2016 – demand will be particularly high for user-experience specialists, mobile engineers and software developers across digital-related businesses.
• Demand for engineers, especially those in R&D positions will see more growth.
• China’s in-house legal counsel hiring trend is on the rise, as market factors push corporations to beef up their internal pool for both legal and compliance counsels.
• Life Science professionals in China can expect a 5% – 13% salary growth. R&D, Clinical Development, Medical Affair, Regulatory Affairs, Drug Safety and Quality Assurance professionals are more likely to be in demand in 2016-17.
• Demand for Digital Marketing, Client Relationship Management and E-commerce professionals continues to exceed supply of candidates across all industries, as online businesses in China continue to grow rapidly.
• Salaries for supply chain professionals are expected to climb by 10%-15% in 2016
• Candidates with regional or China exposure possessing English and Chinese (Mandarin) language skills are particularly in higher demand and can expect salary hike up to 20% – 25%

“The year 2016 – 17 is likely to turn out to be a reasonably good period for skilled professionals,” said Joyce Jing, General Manager of ZW HR Consulting. “Many employers are expecting to increase salaries by more than eight per cent in the next 12 months.”

Frank Yu, Chairman – ZW HR Consulting, adds, “We anticipate high levels of hiring activity will continue throughout 2016; many companies are still positive when it comes to their hiring activities. Currently, candidates are receiving 8% – 15% increases in salary. With talent shortages within many sectors, those with specific in-demand skill sets and experience will command a higher than average salary increase. Those with desired skills such as additional languages, leadership capabilities, and on the job experience can receive up to a 25% growth in salary.”

Yu added, “We are seeing a high demand for IT and Life Sciences related jobs as MNCs and large local firms continue to aggressively expand their presence in China. Candidates with international exposure, good language skills, market knowledge and who are well-disciplined will continue to receive multiple offers, as well as counter offers from their current employer.”

In conclusion, this guide aims to provide you with further insights into the latest salary ranges, calculating for various positions across different industries in China. The salary ranges signify actual transactions between employers and employees, therefore best reflecting the Chinese marketplace.