Average Research Engineer Salary in China for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Research Engineer salary for 2024 in China 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 Research Engineer Make in China?

A Research Engineer working in China will typically earn around 283,400 CNY per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 136,200 CNY to the highest average salary of 442,300 CNY.

Average Annual Salary
283,400 CNY
Average Monthly Salary
23,616 CNY

Lowest Annual Salary
136,200 CNY
Lowest Monthly Salary
11,350 CNY

Highest Annual Salary
442,300 CNY
Highest Monthly Salary
36,858 CNY

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

Research Engineer 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 Research Engineer Salaries in China

So we've looked at the average salaries a Research Engineer will earn in China. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Research Engineer can earn between 136,200 CNY and 442,300 CNY on average in China. 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 Research Engineer in China is 294,700 CNY. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 294,700 CNY, and 50% of the population earn more than 294,700 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 Research Engineer salary in China, 25% of the population are earning less than 191,600 CNY while 75% of the population earn more than 191,600 CNY.

75% of the population earn less than 384,200 CNY, and 25% of the population earn more than 384,200 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.

Research Engineer Salary by Experience Level in China

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 research engineer 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 Research Engineer in China that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 159,100 CNY.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Research Engineer salary would increase to 225,700 CNY.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Research Engineer, the average salary would be 294,700 CNY.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 361,500 CNY.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Research Engineer with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 384,500 CNY.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Research Engineer with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 420,800 CNY.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
159,100 CNY
2-5 Years +42%
225,700 CNY
5-10 Years +31%
294,700 CNY
10-15 Years +23%
361,500 CNY
15-20 Years +6%
384,500 CNY
20+ Years +10%
420,800 CNY

Research Engineer Salary by Education Level in China

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 Research Engineer in China based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Research Engineer in China with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 195,200 CNY.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Research Engineer in China with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 314,500 CNY.

  • Master's Degree. A Research Engineer in China with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 419,400 CNY.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Certificate or Diploma
195,200 CNY
Bachelor's Degree +59%
314,500 CNY
Master's Degree +33%
419,400 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.

Research Engineer 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 China, a male research engineer will earn an average of 294,300 CNY, while a female research engineer will earn around 273,000 CNY.

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

Average Salary by Gender Chart in China

Male
294,300 CNY
Female -8%
273,000 CNY

Research Engineer Average Pay Raise in China

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 Research Engineer in China is around 13% every 13 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 = ( 13 ÷ 13 ) × 12  = 12%

What this means is that a Research Engineer in China can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 12% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in China for 2024

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%

Research Engineer Bonus and Incentive Rates in China

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 Research Engineer is a moderate bonus based job, with 58% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

42% 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 3% to 6%.

Received Bonus
58%
No Bonus
42%

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 Research Engineer

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Research Engineer in China.

Job Title Category Salary
Assistant Business Development Manager Business Planning 489,500 CNY
Assistant Merchandise Planner Business Planning 281,500 CNY
Business Advisor Business Planning 426,700 CNY
Business Analyst Business Planning 442,300 CNY
Business Consultant Business Planning 407,300 CNY
Business Continuity Associate Business Planning 271,300 CNY
Business Developer Business Planning 268,900 CNY
Business Development Analyst Business Planning 315,700 CNY
Business Development Associate Business Planning 233,600 CNY
Business Development Coordinator Business Planning 233,600 CNY
Business Development Director Business Planning 638,700 CNY
Business Development Engineer Business Planning 335,800 CNY
Business Development Executive Business Planning 459,700 CNY
Business Development Manager Business Planning 555,800 CNY
Business Development Specialist Business Planning 406,300 CNY
Business Manager Business Planning 504,300 CNY
Business Operations Specialist Business Planning 430,000 CNY
Business Process Writer Business Planning 237,400 CNY
Business Systems Analyst Business Planning 426,700 CNY
Capacity Planner Business Planning 317,700 CNY
Capacity Planning Supervisor Business Planning 403,100 CNY
Change Communications Analyst Business Planning 394,800 CNY
Change Control Analyst Business Planning 421,400 CNY
Change Impact Analyst Business Planning 401,300 CNY
Contracts Executive Business Planning 420,800 CNY
Corporate Strategy Analyst Business Planning 436,200 CNY
Cost Control Engineer Business Planning 282,300 CNY
Cost Controller Business Planning 301,600 CNY
Cost Estimator Business Planning 294,700 CNY
Data Executive Business Planning 231,000 CNY
Data Manager Business Planning 325,600 CNY
Data Processing Manager Business Planning 386,400 CNY
Development Researcher Business Planning 317,700 CNY
Director of Business Development Business Planning 638,700 CNY
Director of Production Planning Business Planning 545,300 CNY
Due Diligence Analyst Business Planning 459,300 CNY
Estimating Manager Business Planning 485,300 CNY
General Manager Business Planning 538,600 CNY
Incident Handler Business Planning 288,100 CNY
Incident Specialist Business Planning 369,900 CNY
Lean Consultant Business Planning 332,100 CNY
Manager Business Planning 573,500 CNY
Marketing and Business Development Manager Business Planning 541,700 CNY
Materials Planner Business Planning 185,100 CNY
Merchandise Assistant Business Planning 187,500 CNY
Merchandise Controller Business Planning 174,000 CNY
Merchandise Planner Business Planning 191,600 CNY
Operations Analyst Business Planning 390,000 CNY
Operations Manager Business Planning 455,400 CNY
Operations Research Analyst Business Planning 268,900 CNY
Planning and Reporting Manager Business Planning 451,000 CNY
Planning Director Business Planning 545,300 CNY
Project Administrator Business Planning 283,700 CNY
Project Manager Business Planning 450,300 CNY
Project Planner Business Planning 263,200 CNY
Research Assistant Business Planning 237,400 CNY
Research Officer Business Planning 225,300 CNY
Risk Management Specialist Business Planning 419,400 CNY
Scholarship Coordinator Business Planning 207,700 CNY
Store Planner Business Planning 208,600 CNY
Strategy Director Business Planning 615,300 CNY
Top Research and Development Executive Business Planning 626,800 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.

City Average Salary
Beijing 301,300 CNY
Changchun 271,300 CNY
Changsha 246,500 CNY
Chengdu 305,600 CNY
Chongqing 313,700 CNY
Dalian 245,300 CNY
Dongguan 253,400 CNY
Foshan 254,700 CNY
Fuzhou 239,300 CNY
Guangzhou 320,500 CNY
Hangzhou 308,300 CNY
Harbin 275,800 CNY
Jinan 288,100 CNY
Kunming 238,900 CNY
Nanjing 275,200 CNY
Qingdao 254,700 CNY
Quanzhou 239,300 CNY
Shanghai 307,400 CNY
Shantou 265,000 CNY
Shenyang 286,400 CNY
Shenzhen 279,400 CNY
Suzhou 275,200 CNY
Tianjin 277,400 CNY
Wenzhou 257,700 CNY
Wuhan 308,900 CNY
Wuxi 228,000 CNY
Xi an 277,400 CNY
Xiamen 245,300 CNY
Zhengzhou 227,600 CNY

Salary Comparison by State

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

City Average Salary
Anhui 288,100 CNY
Beijing 239,300 CNY
Chongqing 263,100 CNY
Fujian 282,500 CNY
Gansu 239,300 CNY
Guangdong 305,600 CNY
Guangxi 282,500 CNY
Guizhou 265,000 CNY
Hainan 245,300 CNY
Hebei 283,700 CNY
Heilongjiang 261,300 CNY
Henan 307,400 CNY
Hubei 294,700 CNY
Hunan 308,900 CNY
Jiangsu 286,400 CNY
Jiangxi 275,200 CNY
Jilin 254,700 CNY
Liaoning 283,400 CNY
Nei Monggol 259,100 CNY
Ningxia 221,500 CNY
Qinghai 225,300 CNY
Shaanxi 267,100 CNY
Shandong 313,700 CNY
Shanghai 258,400 CNY
Shanxi 253,400 CNY
Sichuan 299,500 CNY
Tianjin 238,900 CNY
Xinjiang Uygur 247,800 CNY
Xizang [Tibet] 237,400 CNY
Yunnan 271,300 CNY
Zhejiang 281,500 CNY

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