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Average Embedded Software Developer Salary in China for 2026

An embedded software developer in China earns about 341,400 CNY a year. That's 3% roughly in line with the national average of 351,900 CNY.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in China sit around 163,800 CNY a year, while the very top stretches to 537,300 CNY. Everything on this page is in Chinese yuan (CNY, symbol ¥), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in China, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

How much does an embedded software developer make in China?

Average salary
341,400 CNY
28,450 CNY per month
Lowest reported
163,800 CNY
13,650 CNY per month
Highest reported
537,300 CNY
44,775 CNY per month

A typical embedded software developer working in China brings home around 28,450 CNY a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 163,800 CNY, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 537,300 CNY for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior embedded software developer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.

How embedded software developer pay ranges in China

A good way to think about salary in China is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all embedded software developers in China earn less than 354,000 CNY a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 233,600 CNY (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 464,400 CNY (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of embedded software developers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 163,800 CNY. The highest stretch to 537,300 CNY, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

163,800
Low
354,000
Median
537,300
High
233,600
25th
464,400
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in CNY

Embedded software developer pay by experience in China

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an embedded software developer in China, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical embedded software developer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    192,600 CNY
  • 2-5 Years
    +42% from previous
    273,300 CNY
  • 5-10 Years
    +31% from previous
    357,700 CNY
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    437,900 CNY
  • 15-20 Years
    +7% from previous
    467,100 CNY
  • 20+ Years
    +10% from previous
    513,300 CNY

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 42%. That is the point at which a embedded software developer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Embedded software developer pay by education in China

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving embedded software developer pay in China. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average embedded software developer salary in China broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    238,900 CNY
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +60% from previous
    381,800 CNY
  • Master's Degree
    +32% from previous
    504,500 CNY

Embedded software developer gender pay gap in China

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and China is no exception. Male embedded software developers in China earn an average of 357,300 CNY a year, while female embedded software developers earn around 332,100 CNY. That works out to a 8% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Embedded Software Developer gender pay gap

7%

Men earn this much more than women on average in China.

Men 357,300 CNY
Women 332,100 CNY

Pay raises for an embedded software developer in China

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in China sees a raise of about 12% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in China, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in China:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education
    2%

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Embedded software developer bonus rates in China

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

58%

58% of embedded software developers in China reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an embedded software developer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 42% of embedded software developers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in China

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Embedded software developer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in China is about 6% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in China on average.

Public sector 362,200 CNY
Private sector 341,400 CNY

Embedded software developer salary by city and region in China

Embedded software developer pay is not even across China. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Guangdong
  • Shanghai (city)
  • Guangzhou
  • Henan
  • Hangzhou
  • Shandong
  • Jiangsu
  • Anhui
  • Hebei
  • Sichuan
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
GuangdongRegion424,300 CNY407,100 CNY218,900-650,800 CNY
Shanghai (city)City421,400 CNY421,400 CNY209,700-649,700 CNY
GuangzhouCity413,900 CNY430,000 CNY197,600-650,800 CNY
HenanRegion412,000 CNY421,400 CNY201,100-643,400 CNY
HangzhouCity407,100 CNY375,200 CNY221,500-614,600 CNY
ShandongRegion407,100 CNY375,200 CNY221,500-614,600 CNY
JiangsuRegion401,300 CNY385,300 CNY208,600-615,700 CNY
AnhuiRegion401,300 CNY378,300 CNY212,500-612,500 CNY
HebeiRegion401,300 CNY378,300 CNY212,500-610,100 CNY
SichuanRegion396,300 CNY414,000 CNY192,000-623,200 CNY
HunanRegion394,500 CNY365,400 CNY212,500-596,800 CNY
Chongqing (city)City394,300 CNY425,100 CNY181,600-628,000 CNY
Beijing (city)City392,300 CNY392,300 CNY195,200-607,400 CNY
ChengduCity392,300 CNY367,200 CNY207,700-595,300 CNY
HubeiRegion389,200 CNY414,000 CNY183,600-614,600 CNY
GuangxiRegion385,300 CNY385,300 CNY191,600-597,800 CNY
Tianjin (city)City381,800 CNY386,400 CNY187,500-592,200 CNY
HarbinCity376,800 CNY362,200 CNY196,800-575,100 CNY
FujianRegion375,200 CNY394,500 CNY174,000-590,200 CNY
ShenyangCity375,200 CNY406,300 CNY172,200-592,600 CNY
JiangxiRegion371,100 CNY371,100 CNY187,500-576,500 CNY
ZhejiangRegion371,100 CNY394,300 CNY174,000-587,800 CNY
WuhanCity371,100 CNY371,100 CNY187,500-576,500 CNY
NanjingCity371,100 CNY363,000 CNY190,500-573,500 CNY
LiaoningRegion367,900 CNY396,300 CNY169,000-583,000 CNY
YunnanRegion366,200 CNY372,600 CNY180,300-568,500 CNY
JinanCity365,400 CNY348,300 CNY190,500-556,000 CNY
Xi anCity363,000 CNY394,800 CNY167,100-581,300 CNY
ShenzhenCity361,600 CNY375,200 CNY172,400-563,300 CNY
ShantouCity357,700 CNY341,900 CNY187,500-548,500 CNY
HeilongjiangRegion357,700 CNY352,000 CNY183,600-551,200 CNY
SuzhouCity357,300 CNY378,300 CNY167,100-563,000 CNY
ShaanxiRegion353,600 CNY375,200 CNY168,100-558,300 CNY
WenzhouCity353,600 CNY362,200 CNY172,200-552,400 CNY
Chongqing (region)Region351,200 CNY359,900 CNY172,400-547,800 CNY
GuizhouRegion351,200 CNY367,900 CNY169,000-553,800 CNY
ShanxiRegion345,100 CNY345,100 CNY172,400-533,000 CNY
GansuRegion341,900 CNY313,700 CNY187,500-519,300 CNY
JilinRegion340,400 CNY351,200 CNY161,600-531,700 CNY
DongguanCity340,000 CNY325,600 CNY176,800-519,300 CNY
FoshanCity335,100 CNY335,100 CNY168,100-519,300 CNY
QingdaoCity332,100 CNY362,200 CNY152,300-533,100 CNY
ChangchunCity330,900 CNY330,900 CNY164,200-514,300 CNY
Nei MonggolRegion330,900 CNY312,400 CNY174,000-501,400 CNY
Beijing (region)Region330,900 CNY325,800 CNY169,000-510,000 CNY
Shanghai (region)Region325,800 CNY312,400 CNY167,100-496,100 CNY
ChangshaCity319,600 CNY340,400 CNY152,100-504,500 CNY
Xinjiang UygurRegion318,800 CNY297,000 CNY167,100-483,800 CNY
HainanRegion317,700 CNY345,100 CNY148,300-507,300 CNY
DalianCity315,900 CNY341,400 CNY148,300-504,400 CNY
FuzhouCity314,500 CNY317,700 CNY152,300-489,600 CNY
WuxiCity313,700 CNY301,700 CNY163,800-483,800 CNY
Tianjin (region)Region312,400 CNY335,800 CNY143,200-496,100 CNY
NingxiaRegion309,800 CNY301,600 CNY158,700-475,700 CNY
KunmingCity307,400 CNY294,300 CNY159,400-467,100 CNY
QinghaiRegion305,600 CNY312,400 CNY150,000-475,700 CNY
ZhengzhouCity305,600 CNY305,600 CNY152,000-472,000 CNY
QuanzhouCity301,600 CNY325,900 CNY138,200-480,600 CNY
Xizang [Tibet]Region296,000 CNY288,700 CNY152,100-454,900 CNY
XiamenCity294,300 CNY286,400 CNY151,800-454,300 CNY

Embedded Software Developer in China: FAQs

  • How much does an embedded software developer make per month in China?

    An embedded software developer in China earns about 28,450 CNY a month before tax, based on an annual average of 341,400 CNY.

  • What's the salary range for an embedded software developer in China?

    Entry-level embedded software developers in China start near 163,800 CNY. Top-end pay reaches around 537,300 CNY. The middle 50% of earners sit between 233,600 and 464,400 CNY.

  • Is the median embedded software developer salary in China higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 354,000 CNY, higher than the average of 341,400 CNY. Half of embedded software developers in China earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for embedded software developers in China?

    Men working as an embedded software developer in China earn around 8% more than women on average (357,300 vs 332,100 CNY a year).

  • Do embedded software developers in China get bonuses?

    About 58% of embedded software developers in China reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

  • Do embedded software developers earn more in the public or private sector in China?

    In China, the public sector pays an embedded software developer about 6% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do embedded software developers in China get a pay raise?

    An embedded software developer in China sees a raise of around 12% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.