The Truth about Foreigners' Salaries in China

Although there are many different reasons why foreigners come to work in China, the economy may be the main reason. Some people come out of urgent need because their homeland has almost no jobs, some come to earn attractive foreign salaries, and some know that their work speed in China is much faster than in China. But not all foreign nationals in China have equal wages. Let's take a closer look. 1. The Income Gap of Foreigners in China There are various types of foreigners in China. When teaching at a private English school in Shanghai, I worked with a retired American rancher and an Australian in his twenties. The former only wanted to have a unique experience in the Far East, while the latter was saving money for a property in his hometown. In the internet industry where I later switched careers, I met an SEO expert who was obsessed with Chinese culture. He worked as little as possible to spend time with his new bride, and there was also an online advertising manager who was poached by a headhunting company in the United States and couldn't wait to flee back in just six months. Due to the large number of people and the wide variety of foreigners, it is natural that the salaries of foreigners in China vary greatly. There is a huge wage gap in the education sector alone. Although some foreign teachers may find themselves struggling to make ends meet on only 15000 yuan or less per month, the income of high-quality teachers holding important education jobs in China in expensive private schools can reach 50000 yuan. I dare say that most teachers' salaries range from 25000 to 30000 RMB, and their exact positions within this range depend on location and experience, as well as their educational background. That is to say, when signing a contract, there is usually a lot of bargaining space, and overtime pay also has additional income. Many foreigners in other industries earn more. For example, full-time employees of large automotive, high-tech, chemical, engineering, pharmaceutical, and manufacturing companies can earn up to 100000 yuan per month in addition to attractive benefits such as housing subsidies, private education for children, vehicles and drivers, and private medical insurance. These positions are the holy grail for foreigners working in China, and foreigners are usually hired in their home country before being assigned to work overseas. 2、 The income gap between foreigners and locals in China Although not all foreigners have equal wages, compared to their Chinese counterparts, their wages are much more equal. For example, the salary of expat english teacher is usually three times that of local teachers. Although most Chinese people believe that foreign employees earn higher salaries than themselves, it is clearly best to remain humble and cautious about their own income. This difference can cause tension in the workplace, especially when your work hours are significantly shorter than those of local colleagues. 3、 Cost of living in China Although the cost of living in China continues to rise, compared to most similar cities in the West, China is still an outlier. The rent, transportation, dining out, and drinking here are still much cheaper than in the West. Everyone wants to reduce expenses, no matter where their income is, so whether you are a person with no, some, or many, you always feel that living in a cheaper country than you are accustomed to would be better. However, when we start feeling better, additional expenses can easily quietly increase. Perhaps you didn't include the club's weekly foot massage or bottle service in your budget at the beginning. By contrast, when you work in foreign currency and may even pay all the expenses with your phone, it's easy to not be sure how much money you've spent. Therefore, although many foreigners come to China for economic reasons, if you don't try to come to China at a low price, you may not find yourself saving a lot of money.