Average Information Technology Quality Assurance Team Lead (QA) Salary in China for 2026
An information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) in China earns about 388,100 CNY a year. That's 10% above 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 204,700 CNY a year, while the very top stretches to 595,300 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 information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) make in China?
A typical information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) working in China brings home around 32,341 CNY a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 204,700 CNY, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 595,300 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 information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) 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 information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) 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 information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s in China earn less than 375,200 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 259,100 CNY (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 464,900 CNY (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.
The very lowest reported salaries sit around 204,700 CNY. The highest stretch to 595,300 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.
Information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) pay by experience in China
Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) 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 information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) salary changes as you move through the career ladder.
- 0-2 Years231,000 CNY
- 2-5 Years+33% from previous308,300 CNY
- 5-10 Years+30% from previous401,300 CNY
- 10-15 Years+21% from previous485,200 CNY
- 15-20 Years+10% from previous533,100 CNY
- 20+ Years+5% from previous558,300 CNY
The single largest jump on the ladder is from 0 - 2 Years to 2 - 5 Years, where pay rises by about 33%. That is the point at which a information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) 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.
Information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) pay by education in China
Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) 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 information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) salary in China broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.
- Certificate or Diploma275,200 CNY
- Bachelor's Degree+51% from previous415,900 CNY
- Master's Degree+42% from previous589,400 CNY
Information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) gender pay gap in China
The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and China is no exception. Male information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s in China earn an average of 407,300 CNY a year, while female information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s earn around 377,200 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.
Information Technology Quality Assurance Team Lead (QA) gender pay gap
7%
Men earn this much more than women on average in China.
Pay raises for an information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) 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 13% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 10% 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
- Education2%
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 Level3% - 5%
- Mid-Career
- Senior Level
- Top Management
Information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) 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.
79% of information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s in China reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) a high-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 6% to 8% of base salary. The remaining 21% of information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s 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
Information technology quality assurance team lead (qa): 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.
Information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) salary by city and region in China
Information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) 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
- Jiangsu
- Shandong
- Hebei
- Hangzhou
- Chongqing (city)
- Guangzhou
- Beijing (city)
- Sichuan
- Tianjin (city)
| Location | Type | Average | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guangdong | Region | 430,000 CNY | 466,300 CNY | 197,600-684,900 CNY |
| Jiangsu | Region | 426,700 CNY | 462,300 CNY | 195,200-681,900 CNY |
| Shandong | Region | 426,700 CNY | 411,400 CNY | 222,300-656,800 CNY |
| Hebei | Region | 425,100 CNY | 433,400 CNY | 208,600-664,500 CNY |
| Hangzhou | City | 424,900 CNY | 407,300 CNY | 218,900-649,700 CNY |
| Chongqing (city) | City | 420,800 CNY | 454,900 CNY | 194,600-672,600 CNY |
| Guangzhou | City | 415,900 CNY | 398,300 CNY | 215,100-633,300 CNY |
| Beijing (city) | City | 411,400 CNY | 417,100 CNY | 201,100-641,900 CNY |
| Sichuan | Region | 411,400 CNY | 394,300 CNY | 212,500-627,900 CNY |
| Tianjin (city) | City | 409,000 CNY | 440,200 CNY | 189,300-649,700 CNY |
| Shanghai (city) | City | 407,300 CNY | 417,200 CNY | 197,600-637,500 CNY |
| Harbin | City | 406,300 CNY | 437,300 CNY | 187,500-642,800 CNY |
| Wuhan | City | 406,300 CNY | 414,000 CNY | 197,600-633,100 CNY |
| Anhui | Region | 404,600 CNY | 413,900 CNY | 197,600-632,400 CNY |
| Hubei | Region | 404,600 CNY | 413,900 CNY | 197,600-631,200 CNY |
| Henan | Region | 403,100 CNY | 433,800 CNY | 187,500-643,400 CNY |
| Xi an | City | 399,900 CNY | 431,300 CNY | 185,100-638,700 CNY |
| Hunan | Region | 394,500 CNY | 381,800 CNY | 207,800-606,400 CNY |
| Yunnan | Region | 394,300 CNY | 428,400 CNY | 183,600-627,900 CNY |
| Shenyang | City | 392,300 CNY | 424,300 CNY | 180,500-623,200 CNY |
| Chengdu | City | 392,300 CNY | 399,900 CNY | 192,600-615,000 CNY |
| Jinan | City | 385,300 CNY | 419,400 CNY | 175,900-614,600 CNY |
| Zhejiang | Region | 385,300 CNY | 394,300 CNY | 190,500-603,400 CNY |
| Shaanxi | Region | 385,300 CNY | 394,300 CNY | 190,500-603,400 CNY |
| Liaoning | Region | 384,500 CNY | 415,900 CNY | 176,800-610,100 CNY |
| Nanjing | City | 383,300 CNY | 366,200 CNY | 197,600-583,000 CNY |
| Jiangxi | Region | 383,300 CNY | 389,200 CNY | 187,300-596,100 CNY |
| Wenzhou | City | 378,800 CNY | 409,000 CNY | 172,200-603,400 CNY |
| Shenzhen | City | 378,800 CNY | 365,400 CNY | 195,200-581,300 CNY |
| Guangxi | Region | 377,200 CNY | 382,600 CNY | 185,100-587,800 CNY |
| Suzhou | City | 372,600 CNY | 381,800 CNY | 183,600-581,000 CNY |
| Fujian | Region | 369,300 CNY | 378,800 CNY | 183,600-581,300 CNY |
| Shanxi | Region | 369,300 CNY | 378,300 CNY | 181,600-578,500 CNY |
| Shantou | City | 367,200 CNY | 398,300 CNY | 169,000-585,900 CNY |
| Guizhou | Region | 366,200 CNY | 351,900 CNY | 190,500-558,300 CNY |
| Chongqing (region) | Region | 365,400 CNY | 392,300 CNY | 168,100-578,500 CNY |
| Heilongjiang | Region | 363,000 CNY | 352,000 CNY | 190,500-559,000 CNY |
| Gansu | Region | 361,500 CNY | 349,300 CNY | 189,300-553,400 CNY |
| Dalian | City | 352,000 CNY | 378,300 CNY | 159,500-556,000 CNY |
| Qingdao | City | 348,300 CNY | 377,200 CNY | 159,500-553,400 CNY |
| Foshan | City | 348,300 CNY | 354,000 CNY | 172,200-544,800 CNY |
| Fuzhou | City | 344,600 CNY | 372,600 CNY | 159,100-547,800 CNY |
| Tianjin (region) | Region | 341,400 CNY | 369,900 CNY | 158,700-544,800 CNY |
| Changchun | City | 340,400 CNY | 345,700 CNY | 168,100-529,600 CNY |
| Wuxi | City | 340,000 CNY | 363,000 CNY | 157,600-535,900 CNY |
| Changsha | City | 335,800 CNY | 341,900 CNY | 163,800-524,700 CNY |
| Xinjiang Uygur | Region | 335,800 CNY | 341,900 CNY | 163,800-524,700 CNY |
| Nei Monggol | Region | 332,500 CNY | 340,400 CNY | 161,600-518,900 CNY |
| Dongguan | City | 332,500 CNY | 359,900 CNY | 152,000-528,500 CNY |
| Jilin | Region | 332,100 CNY | 319,600 CNY | 172,200-510,200 CNY |
| Zhengzhou | City | 330,900 CNY | 340,000 CNY | 161,300-518,300 CNY |
| Ningxia | Region | 330,700 CNY | 315,900 CNY | 172,200-504,300 CNY |
| Shanghai (region) | Region | 327,800 CNY | 353,600 CNY | 152,100-522,700 CNY |
| Quanzhou | City | 322,600 CNY | 349,300 CNY | 150,000-514,300 CNY |
| Kunming | City | 322,600 CNY | 348,300 CNY | 150,000-514,300 CNY |
| Xiamen | City | 320,500 CNY | 309,800 CNY | 168,100-492,400 CNY |
| Beijing (region) | Region | 320,500 CNY | 309,800 CNY | 168,100-491,000 CNY |
| Hainan | Region | 318,800 CNY | 341,900 CNY | 148,300-504,500 CNY |
| Qinghai | Region | 314,500 CNY | 340,000 CNY | 142,300-499,300 CNY |
| Xizang [Tibet] | Region | 301,300 CNY | 290,800 CNY | 157,600-460,500 CNY |
Information Technology Quality Assurance Team Lead (QA) in China: FAQs
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How much does an information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) make per month in China?
An information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) in China earns about 32,341 CNY a month before tax, based on an annual average of 388,100 CNY.
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What's the salary range for an information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) in China?
Entry-level information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s in China start near 204,700 CNY. Top-end pay reaches around 595,300 CNY. The middle 50% of earners sit between 259,100 and 464,900 CNY.
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Is the median information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) salary in China higher or lower than the average?
The median is 375,200 CNY, lower than the average of 388,100 CNY. Half of information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s in China earn below the median, half earn above it.
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What's the gender pay gap for information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s in China?
Men working as an information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) in China earn around 8% more than women on average (407,300 vs 377,200 CNY a year).
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Do information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s in China get bonuses?
About 79% of information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s in China reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 6% to 8% of base salary.
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Do information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s earn more in the public or private sector in China?
In China, the public sector pays an information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) about 6% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.
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How often do information technology quality assurance team lead (qa)s in China get a pay raise?
An information technology quality assurance team lead (qa) in China sees a raise of around 13% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 10% a year.