Average Culinary Associate Salary in Suzhou, China for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average Culinary Associate salary for 2026 in Suzhou and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Chinese yuan. To keep things simple, we are using the CNY currency code instead of the currency symbol ¥.

How Much Does a Culinary Associate Make in Suzhou?

A Culinary Associate working in Suzhou will typically earn around 99,100 CNY per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 50,520 CNY to the highest average salary of 154,700 CNY.

Average Annual Salary99,100 CNY
Average Monthly Salary8,258 CNY
Average Lowest Salary50,520 CNY
Lowest Monthly Salary4,210 CNY
Average Highest Salary154,700 CNY
Highest Monthly Salary12,891 CNY

These are average salaries for a Culinary Associate in Suzhou and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Culinary Associate to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Culinary Associate salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Culinary Associate Salaries in Suzhou

So we've looked at the average salaries a Culinary Associate will earn in Suzhou. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Culinary Associate can earn between 50,520 CNY and 154,700 CNY on average in Suzhou. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Culinary Associate in Suzhou is 99,560 CNY. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 99,560 CNY, and 50% of the population earn more than 99,560 CNY.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Culinary Associate salary in Suzhou, 25% of the population are earning less than 67,900 CNY while 75% of the population earn more than 67,900 CNY.

75% of the population earn less than 125,100 CNY, and 25% of the population earn more than 125,100 CNY.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Culinary Associate Salary by Experience Level in Suzhou

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Culinary Associate salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Culinary Associate in Suzhou that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 56,640 CNY.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Culinary Associate salary would increase to 73,980 CNY.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Culinary Associate, the average salary would be 102,960 CNY.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 127,700 CNY.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Culinary Associate with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 137,400 CNY.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Culinary Associate with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 148,300 CNY.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
56,640 CNY
2-5 Years+31%
73,980 CNY
5-10 Years+40%
102,960 CNY
10-15 Years+20%
127,700 CNY
15-20 Years+9%
137,400 CNY
20+ Years+8%
148,300 CNY

Culinary Associate Salary by Education Level in Suzhou

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Culinary Associate in Suzhou based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Culinary Associate in Suzhou with a high school education can earn an average salary of 67,360 CNY.
  • Certificate or Diploma. A Culinary Associate in Suzhou with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 117,860 CNY.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School-
67,360 CNY
Certificate or Diploma+76%
117,860 CNY

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in China is around 146,000 to 439,000 CNY and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Culinary Associate Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Suzhou, a male culinary associate will earn an average of 108,340 CNY, while a female culinary associate will earn around 100,580 CNY.

This means that a male culinary associate earns approximately 8% more than a female culinary associate for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Suzhou

Male-
108,340 CNY
Female-8%
100,580 CNY

Culinary Associate Average Pay Raise in Suzhou

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Culinary Associate in Suzhou is around 10% every 15 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in China is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 10 ÷ 15 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Culinary Associate in Suzhou can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Suzhou for 2026

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in China.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
8%
Energy-
7%
Information Technology-
6%
Healthcare-
5%
Travel-
4%
Construction-
3%
Education-
2%

Culinary Associate Bonus and Incentive Rates in Suzhou

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Culinary Associate is a low bonus based job, with 33% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

67% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus-
33%
No Bonus-
67%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in China earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
362,200 CNY
Private Sector-6%
341,400 CNY

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Culinary Associate

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Culinary Associate in Suzhou.

Job TitleCategorySalary
All RounderFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering137,400 CNY
Assistant Executive HousekeeperFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering106,360 CNY
Assistant Food and Beverage ControllerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering205,700 CNY
Assistant Food and Beverage DirectorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering442,200 CNY
Assistant Hospitality ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering480,600 CNY
Assistant StorekeeperFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering96,980 CNY
Assistant Tour ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering231,000 CNY
Baker and PastrycookFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering125,100 CNY
Bakery ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering263,100 CNY
Bakery SuperintendentFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering167,100 CNY
Banquet CaptainFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering130,400 CNY
Banquet ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering187,300 CNY
Banquet ServerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering111,920 CNY
Bar AttendantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering110,380 CNY
Bar ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering239,300 CNY
Bar SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering158,700 CNY
BaristaFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering138,800 CNY
BartenderFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering137,400 CNY
BellmanFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering105,800 CNY
Beverage ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering292,000 CNY
Bistro AttendantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering118,800 CNY
Buffet ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering200,000 CNY
Buffet HostFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering112,560 CNY
Buffet ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering263,200 CNY
Butcher and SlaughtererFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering93,340 CNY
Cafeteria AssistantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering125,700 CNY
Cafeteria ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering218,900 CNY
Cafeteria SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering152,100 CNY
Cake DecoratorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering136,100 CNY
Casino Shift ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering383,300 CNY
Chain Store Customer SupportFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering192,000 CNY
ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering218,900 CNY
Chef De CuisineFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering307,400 CNY
Club ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering411,400 CNY
Cluster DirectorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering510,000 CNY
Cluster Revenue ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering417,200 CNY
Cocktail ServerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering112,440 CNY
Coffee Shop ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering377,200 CNY
ConciergeFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering111,240 CNY
Confectionery BakerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering130,400 CNY
Conference Services ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering239,300 CNY
Conference and Sales CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering197,600 CNY
CookFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering196,800 CNY
Corporate Sous ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering301,800 CNY
Corporate Travel ConsultantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering315,700 CNY
CroupierFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering152,000 CNY
Culinary AssistantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering99,100 CNY
Demi ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering212,500 CNY
Dietary AideFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering222,300 CNY
Dining Room SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering192,600 CNY
DishwasherFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering90,900 CNY
Duty ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering271,300 CNY
Events CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering164,200 CNY
Executive ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering253,400 CNY
Executive Pastry ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering200,000 CNY
Fast Food CookFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering172,200 CNY
Fast Food Shift SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering183,600 CNY
Fine Dining CookFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering320,500 CNY
Fine Dining Restaurant ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering327,300 CNY
Fleet ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering528,500 CNY
Food ConsultantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering335,800 CNY
Food Safety CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering259,100 CNY
Food ServerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering107,900 CNY
Food Service DirectorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering430,500 CNY
Food Service ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering430,500 CNY
Food Service SalesFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering263,900 CNY
Food Service WorkerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering110,380 CNY
Food and Beverage ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering430,500 CNY
Front Desk AgentFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering128,900 CNY
Front Desk ClerkFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering127,700 CNY
Front Office ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering240,500 CNY
Guest Service ExecutiveFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering382,600 CNY
Guest Service RepresentativeFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering152,100 CNY
Head Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering258,400 CNY
Head ConciergeFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering163,800 CNY
Hospitality DirectorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering671,000 CNY
Hostess / HostFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering130,400 CNY
Hotel Desk ClerkFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering127,700 CNY
Hotel MaidFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering90,900 CNY
Hotel ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering610,100 CNY
Hotel Sales ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering483,400 CNY
Hotel Service SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering361,600 CNY
Hotel StaffFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering125,100 CNY
Inventory CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering148,300 CNY
Kitchen ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering207,800 CNY
Kitchen StaffFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering116,780 CNY
Kitchen SupervisorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering195,200 CNY
Line CookFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering207,800 CNY
Luggage PorterFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering89,120 CNY
Motel ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering371,100 CNY
Pastry ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering175,900 CNY
Pastrycooking and Baking AssistantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering120,880 CNY
Production OperatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering180,300 CNY
Quality, Health and Safety CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering207,700 CNY
ReceptionistFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering127,700 CNY
Regional Restaurant ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering518,300 CNY
Restaurant ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering417,200 CNY
Restaurant ServerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering113,220 CNY
Room Reservations ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering430,000 CNY
Room Service ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering385,300 CNY
Sous ChefFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering253,400 CNY
Special Events CoordinatorFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering246,500 CNY
Supervisor of Food ServicesFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering299,500 CNY
Tour ConsultantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering319,600 CNY
Tour GuideFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering215,100 CNY
Tour ManagerFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering275,800 CNY
Travel AgentFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering209,500 CNY
Travel ConsultantFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering318,800 CNY
Waiter / WaitressFood / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering110,380 CNY

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in China, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

CityAverage Salary
Beijing109,460 CNY
Changchun93,120 CNY
Changsha90,540 CNY
Chengdu104,060 CNY
Chongqing112,760 CNY
Dalian95,760 CNY
Dongguan87,640 CNY
Foshan94,800 CNY
Fuzhou91,960 CNY
Guangzhou109,340 CNY
Hangzhou114,900 CNY
Harbin108,800 CNY
Jinan105,080 CNY
Kunming85,760 CNY
Nanjing101,860 CNY
Qingdao94,800 CNY
Quanzhou86,740 CNY
Shanghai110,120 CNY
Shantou97,880 CNY
Shenyang105,620 CNY
Shenzhen102,240 CNY
Tianjin107,880 CNY
Wenzhou102,460 CNY
Wuhan108,800 CNY
Wuxi92,300 CNY
Xi an107,320 CNY
Xiamen84,560 CNY
Zhengzhou88,020 CNY

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in China.

StateAverage Salary
Anhui107,860 CNY
Beijing84,560 CNY
Chongqing96,560 CNY
Fujian97,900 CNY
Gansu95,600 CNY
Guangdong116,540 CNY
Guangxi100,140 CNY
Guizhou97,840 CNY
Hainan87,020 CNY
Hebei115,260 CNY
Heilongjiang98,820 CNY
Henan109,740 CNY
Hubei110,340 CNY
Hunan108,120 CNY
Jiangsu113,740 CNY
Jiangxi101,860 CNY
Jilin91,320 CNY
Liaoning104,600 CNY
Nei Monggol88,480 CNY
Ningxia87,760 CNY
Qinghai83,300 CNY
Shaanxi105,080 CNY
Shandong115,520 CNY
Shanghai86,640 CNY
Shanxi97,460 CNY
Sichuan109,460 CNY
Tianjin92,900 CNY
Xinjiang Uygur89,120 CNY
Xizang [Tibet]80,060 CNY
Yunnan107,680 CNY
Zhejiang104,500 CNY

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