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Average Numerical Control Programmer Salary in China for 2026

A numerical control programmer in China earns about 283,700 CNY a year. That's 19% 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 136,100 CNY a year, while the very top stretches to 450,300 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 a numerical control programmer make in China?

Average salary
283,700 CNY
23,641 CNY per month
Lowest reported
136,100 CNY
11,341 CNY per month
Highest reported
450,300 CNY
37,525 CNY per month

A typical numerical control programmer working in China brings home around 23,641 CNY a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 136,100 CNY, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 450,300 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 numerical control 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 numerical control 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 numerical control programmers in China earn less than 301,600 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 195,200 CNY (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 397,900 CNY (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of numerical control programmers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 136,100 CNY. The highest stretch to 450,300 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.

136,100
Low
301,600
Median
450,300
High
195,200
25th
397,900
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in CNY

Numerical control programmer pay by experience in China

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a numerical control 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 numerical control programmer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    154,700 CNY
  • 2-5 Years
    +37% from previous
    212,500 CNY
  • 5-10 Years
    +42% from previous
    301,700 CNY
  • 10-15 Years
    +22% from previous
    369,300 CNY
  • 15-20 Years
    +6% from previous
    390,000 CNY
  • 20+ Years
    +9% from previous
    425,100 CNY

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 42%. That is the point at which a numerical control 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.

Numerical control programmer pay by education in China

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving numerical control 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 numerical control programmer salary in China broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    185,100 CNY
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +59% from previous
    294,700 CNY
  • Master's Degree
    +38% from previous
    407,100 CNY

Numerical control 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 numerical control programmers in China earn an average of 301,800 CNY a year, while female numerical control programmers earn around 275,200 CNY. That works out to a 10% 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.

Numerical Control Programmer gender pay gap

9%

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

Men 301,800 CNY
Women 275,200 CNY

Pay raises for a numerical control 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 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

Numerical control 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.

34%

34% of numerical control programmers in China reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a numerical control programmer a low-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 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 66% of numerical control 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

Numerical control 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

Numerical control programmer salary by city and region in China

Numerical control 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.

  • Guangdong
  • Shanghai (city)
  • Shandong
  • Guangzhou
  • Henan
  • Hebei
  • Hunan
  • Tianjin (city)
  • Chengdu
  • Sichuan
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
GuangdongRegion332,100 CNY340,400 CNY161,600-518,900 CNY
Shanghai (city)City330,900 CNY345,100 CNY159,100-518,900 CNY
ShandongRegion330,700 CNY330,700 CNY163,800-510,200 CNY
GuangzhouCity322,600 CNY341,400 CNY152,100-510,300 CNY
HenanRegion320,500 CNY309,800 CNY168,100-492,400 CNY
HebeiRegion315,700 CNY290,800 CNY172,200-475,700 CNY
HunanRegion309,800 CNY309,800 CNY152,300-476,600 CNY
Tianjin (city)City308,900 CNY294,700 CNY159,400-471,700 CNY
ChengduCity307,400 CNY281,500 CNY163,800-460,500 CNY
SichuanRegion307,400 CNY325,800 CNY142,300-483,400 CNY
HangzhouCity305,600 CNY305,600 CNY152,000-472,000 CNY
ZhejiangRegion301,800 CNY294,300 CNY152,000-460,500 CNY
AnhuiRegion301,600 CNY277,400 CNY161,600-454,900 CNY
Beijing (city)City301,600 CNY315,700 CNY146,200-472,100 CNY
Chongqing (city)City301,600 CNY325,900 CNY138,200-480,300 CNY
JiangsuRegion299,500 CNY301,700 CNY146,200-466,300 CNY
WuhanCity296,000 CNY309,800 CNY142,300-466,300 CNY
Xi anCity294,700 CNY313,700 CNY136,100-466,300 CNY
ShenyangCity294,700 CNY315,900 CNY136,100-464,900 CNY
ShenzhenCity294,700 CNY308,300 CNY137,400-462,300 CNY
FujianRegion294,300 CNY286,400 CNY151,800-454,300 CNY
ShantouCity292,000 CNY296,000 CNY143,200-454,300 CNY
NanjingCity290,800 CNY273,300 CNY152,300-442,200 CNY
JinanCity290,800 CNY294,700 CNY142,300-453,200 CNY
JiangxiRegion290,800 CNY301,300 CNY138,200-455,400 CNY
HubeiRegion286,400 CNY282,300 CNY148,300-445,100 CNY
GuangxiRegion286,400 CNY301,800 CNY139,100-453,200 CNY
LiaoningRegion283,700 CNY309,800 CNY128,900-454,300 CNY
ShanxiRegion279,400 CNY288,700 CNY136,100-436,200 CNY
YunnanRegion279,400 CNY268,900 CNY146,200-426,700 CNY
QingdaoCity279,400 CNY301,300 CNY129,000-445,100 CNY
HarbinCity277,400 CNY282,300 CNY136,200-431,300 CNY
GuizhouRegion275,800 CNY294,700 CNY128,500-437,300 CNY
JilinRegion275,500 CNY294,700 CNY128,500-437,300 CNY
SuzhouCity275,500 CNY272,800 CNY142,300-425,100 CNY
WenzhouCity275,500 CNY265,000 CNY142,300-424,300 CNY
ShaanxiRegion275,200 CNY267,100 CNY138,200-420,100 CNY
Nei MonggolRegion268,900 CNY246,500 CNY146,200-407,100 CNY
HeilongjiangRegion266,000 CNY251,500 CNY138,800-406,300 CNY
ChangchunCity265,000 CNY275,800 CNY125,700-415,900 CNY
DongguanCity265,000 CNY271,300 CNY128,500-414,000 CNY
DalianCity263,900 CNY282,500 CNY119,900-421,400 CNY
Chongqing (region)Region263,900 CNY252,300 CNY137,400-406,300 CNY
FuzhouCity263,100 CNY253,400 CNY137,400-399,900 CNY
Beijing (region)Region261,300 CNY245,300 CNY139,100-394,500 CNY
GansuRegion258,400 CNY258,400 CNY129,000-398,300 CNY
KunmingCity254,800 CNY261,300 CNY124,400-398,300 CNY
QuanzhouCity253,400 CNY273,300 CNY117,520-399,900 CNY
Tianjin (region)Region253,400 CNY272,800 CNY114,000-397,900 CNY
ChangshaCity252,300 CNY247,800 CNY128,500-388,100 CNY
Shanghai (region)Region251,500 CNY254,700 CNY123,400-388,100 CNY
FoshanCity247,800 CNY257,700 CNY117,860-388,100 CNY
ZhengzhouCity246,500 CNY258,400 CNY116,740-386,400 CNY
QinghaiRegion246,500 CNY239,000 CNY129,000-378,300 CNY
XiamenCity245,300 CNY231,000 CNY128,500-371,100 CNY
WuxiCity245,300 CNY251,500 CNY119,860-383,300 CNY
Xinjiang UygurRegion243,000 CNY225,700 CNY130,400-367,200 CNY
HainanRegion239,000 CNY258,400 CNY110,120-378,300 CNY
NingxiaRegion238,900 CNY225,700 CNY125,700-365,400 CNY
Xizang [Tibet]Region238,900 CNY225,700 CNY127,700-361,500 CNY

Numerical Control Programmer in China: FAQs

  • How much does a numerical control programmer make per month in China?

    A numerical control programmer in China earns about 23,641 CNY a month before tax, based on an annual average of 283,700 CNY.

  • What's the salary range for a numerical control programmer in China?

    Entry-level numerical control programmers in China start near 136,100 CNY. Top-end pay reaches around 450,300 CNY. The middle 50% of earners sit between 195,200 and 397,900 CNY.

  • Is the median numerical control programmer salary in China higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 301,600 CNY, higher than the average of 283,700 CNY. Half of numerical control programmers in China earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for numerical control programmers in China?

    Men working as a numerical control programmer in China earn around 10% more than women on average (301,800 vs 275,200 CNY a year).

  • Do numerical control programmers in China get bonuses?

    About 34% of numerical control programmers in China reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do numerical control programmers earn more in the public or private sector in China?

    In China, the public sector pays a numerical control programmer about 6% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do numerical control programmers in China get a pay raise?

    A numerical control programmer in China sees a raise of around 12% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.