Skip to content
worldsalaries .com

Average Graphical User Interface ( GUI ) Programmer Salary in China for 2026

A graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer in China earns about 294,700 CNY a year. That's 16% below 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 142,300 CNY a year, while the very top stretches to 464,400 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 a graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer make in China?

Average salary
294,700 CNY
24,558 CNY per month
Lowest reported
142,300 CNY
11,858 CNY per month
Highest reported
464,400 CNY
38,700 CNY per month

A typical graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer working in China brings home around 24,558 CNY a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 142,300 CNY, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 464,400 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 graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer 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 graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer 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 graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers in China earn less than 308,900 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 201,100 CNY (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 399,900 CNY (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 142,300 CNY. The highest stretch to 464,400 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.

142,300
Low
308,900
Median
464,400
High
201,100
25th
399,900
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in CNY

Graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer pay by experience in China

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer 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 graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    164,200 CNY
  • 2-5 Years
    +42% from previous
    233,900 CNY
  • 5-10 Years
    +32% from previous
    308,300 CNY
  • 10-15 Years
    +24% from previous
    381,800 CNY
  • 15-20 Years
    +6% from previous
    406,300 CNY
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    442,300 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 graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer 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.

Graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer pay by education in China

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer 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 graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer salary in China broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    207,800 CNY
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +58% from previous
    327,300 CNY
  • Master's Degree
    +33% from previous
    436,200 CNY

Graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer gender pay gap in China

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and China is no exception. Male graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers in China earn an average of 309,800 CNY a year, while female graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers earn around 286,400 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.

Graphical User Interface ( GUI ) Programmer gender pay gap

8%

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

Men 309,800 CNY
Women 286,400 CNY

Pay raises for a graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer 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 11% every 16 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

Graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer 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 graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers in China reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer 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 graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers 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

Graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer: 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

Graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer salary by city and region in China

Graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer 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.

  • Guangzhou
  • Shanghai (city)
  • Shandong
  • Hangzhou
  • Jiangsu
  • Hunan
  • Wuhan
  • Chengdu
  • Anhui
  • Guangxi
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
GuangzhouCity353,600 CNY367,900 CNY169,000-555,800 CNY
Shanghai (city)City341,900 CNY341,900 CNY172,200-531,700 CNY
ShandongRegion341,400 CNY315,700 CNY185,100-514,800 CNY
HangzhouCity340,400 CNY315,700 CNY185,100-516,100 CNY
JiangsuRegion340,400 CNY325,600 CNY176,800-518,900 CNY
HunanRegion340,000 CNY312,400 CNY183,600-510,300 CNY
WuhanCity340,000 CNY340,000 CNY169,000-524,700 CNY
ChengduCity335,100 CNY315,700 CNY175,900-510,000 CNY
AnhuiRegion332,100 CNY314,500 CNY176,800-504,500 CNY
GuangxiRegion327,800 CNY327,800 CNY161,600-507,300 CNY
HebeiRegion327,800 CNY309,800 CNY172,200-498,000 CNY
Beijing (city)City327,300 CNY327,300 CNY163,800-510,300 CNY
GuangdongRegion327,300 CNY313,700 CNY172,200-504,400 CNY
HenanRegion325,900 CNY332,100 CNY159,400-510,300 CNY
Chongqing (city)City322,600 CNY349,300 CNY150,000-513,300 CNY
SichuanRegion319,600 CNY332,100 CNY152,300-504,400 CNY
JiangxiRegion312,400 CNY312,400 CNY154,700-480,300 CNY
NanjingCity312,400 CNY301,700 CNY159,100-476,600 CNY
Tianjin (city)City312,400 CNY315,900 CNY152,000-485,300 CNY
ZhejiangRegion312,400 CNY330,700 CNY148,300-492,400 CNY
ShantouCity309,800 CNY296,000 CNY159,500-472,000 CNY
JinanCity308,900 CNY294,300 CNY159,400-467,700 CNY
YunnanRegion308,300 CNY315,900 CNY152,000-483,800 CNY
HubeiRegion305,600 CNY322,600 CNY143,200-480,300 CNY
QingdaoCity301,800 CNY325,800 CNY139,100-478,100 CNY
ShenzhenCity301,600 CNY315,700 CNY146,200-475,700 CNY
Xi anCity301,300 CNY325,600 CNY139,100-476,600 CNY
ShaanxiRegion301,300 CNY317,700 CNY142,300-478,100 CNY
LiaoningRegion299,500 CNY320,500 CNY137,400-472,100 CNY
HarbinCity299,500 CNY283,700 CNY154,700-454,900 CNY
FujianRegion299,500 CNY313,700 CNY138,800-472,100 CNY
WenzhouCity297,000 CNY305,600 CNY148,300-466,900 CNY
GuizhouRegion294,700 CNY308,900 CNY142,300-464,400 CNY
ShenyangCity294,300 CNY315,900 CNY136,200-466,900 CNY
SuzhouCity290,800 CNY308,900 CNY136,200-457,300 CNY
HeilongjiangRegion286,400 CNY283,400 CNY148,300-442,300 CNY
ShanxiRegion283,400 CNY283,400 CNY142,300-437,300 CNY
Chongqing (region)Region282,500 CNY288,700 CNY138,200-445,100 CNY
DalianCity281,500 CNY301,600 CNY129,000-444,300 CNY
JilinRegion277,400 CNY288,700 CNY136,100-436,200 CNY
ChangchunCity275,800 CNY275,800 CNY139,100-426,700 CNY
Xinjiang UygurRegion275,800 CNY261,300 CNY148,300-421,400 CNY
Tianjin (region)Region273,000 CNY296,000 CNY127,700-433,800 CNY
Beijing (region)Region272,800 CNY265,000 CNY139,100-417,200 CNY
GansuRegion271,300 CNY247,800 CNY148,300-407,300 CNY
Shanghai (region)Region268,900 CNY257,700 CNY138,200-412,000 CNY
DongguanCity268,900 CNY257,700 CNY138,800-412,000 CNY
ChangshaCity268,900 CNY283,700 CNY127,700-424,900 CNY
FuzhouCity267,100 CNY273,300 CNY128,900-419,400 CNY
Nei MonggolRegion265,000 CNY247,800 CNY138,800-401,300 CNY
QuanzhouCity263,900 CNY283,700 CNY119,900-421,400 CNY
FoshanCity263,200 CNY263,200 CNY128,900-404,600 CNY
HainanRegion263,100 CNY282,500 CNY119,900-417,100 CNY
QinghaiRegion263,100 CNY267,100 CNY129,000-409,000 CNY
ZhengzhouCity259,100 CNY259,100 CNY128,500-401,300 CNY
KunmingCity257,700 CNY246,500 CNY136,100-394,300 CNY
Xizang [Tibet]Region254,700 CNY251,500 CNY128,500-390,000 CNY
WuxiCity251,500 CNY238,900 CNY128,500-383,300 CNY
XiamenCity249,600 CNY245,300 CNY125,700-384,500 CNY
NingxiaRegion243,000 CNY238,900 CNY124,400-376,800 CNY

Graphical User Interface ( GUI ) Programmer in China: FAQs

  • How much does a graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer make per month in China?

    A graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer in China earns about 24,558 CNY a month before tax, based on an annual average of 294,700 CNY.

  • What's the salary range for a graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer in China?

    Entry-level graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers in China start near 142,300 CNY. Top-end pay reaches around 464,400 CNY. The middle 50% of earners sit between 201,100 and 399,900 CNY.

  • Is the median graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer salary in China higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 308,900 CNY, higher than the average of 294,700 CNY. Half of graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers in China earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers in China?

    Men working as a graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer in China earn around 8% more than women on average (309,800 vs 286,400 CNY a year).

  • Do graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers in China get bonuses?

    About 58% of graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers in China reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

  • Do graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers earn more in the public or private sector in China?

    In China, the public sector pays a graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer about 6% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmers in China get a pay raise?

    A graphical user interface ( GUI ) programmer in China sees a raise of around 11% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.