Average Roughneck Salary in China for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Roughneck 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 Roughneck Make in China?

A Roughneck working in China will typically earn around 340,000 CNY per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 161,600 CNY to the highest average salary of 533,100 CNY.

Average Annual Salary
340,000 CNY
Average Monthly Salary
28,333 CNY

Lowest Annual Salary
161,600 CNY
Lowest Monthly Salary
13,466 CNY

Highest Annual Salary
533,100 CNY
Highest Monthly Salary
44,425 CNY

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

Roughneck 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 Roughneck Salaries in China

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

Salary ranges

We already know that a Roughneck can earn between 161,600 CNY and 533,100 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 Roughneck in China is 351,200 CNY. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 351,200 CNY, and 50% of the population earn more than 351,200 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 Roughneck salary in China, 25% of the population are earning less than 232,900 CNY while 75% of the population earn more than 232,900 CNY.

75% of the population earn less than 459,300 CNY, and 25% of the population earn more than 459,300 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.

Roughneck 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 roughneck 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 Roughneck in China that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 192,000 CNY.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Roughneck salary would increase to 271,300 CNY.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Roughneck, the average salary would be 354,000 CNY.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 433,800 CNY.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Roughneck with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 464,400 CNY.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Roughneck with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 507,300 CNY.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
192,000 CNY
2-5 Years +42%
271,300 CNY
5-10 Years +31%
354,000 CNY
10-15 Years +23%
433,800 CNY
15-20 Years +6%
464,400 CNY
20+ Years +10%
507,300 CNY

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

  • High School. A Roughneck in China with a high school education can earn an average salary of 237,400 CNY.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Roughneck in China with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 345,700 CNY.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Roughneck in China with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 464,900 CNY.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
237,400 CNY
Certificate or Diploma +47%
345,700 CNY
Bachelor's Degree +34%
464,900 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.

Roughneck 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 roughneck will earn an average of 351,200 CNY, while a female roughneck will earn around 330,700 CNY.

This means that a male roughneck earns approximately 6% more than a female roughneck for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in China

Male
351,200 CNY
Female -6%
330,700 CNY

Roughneck 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 Roughneck in China is around 13% every 14 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 ÷ 14 ) × 12  = 11%

What this means is that a Roughneck in China can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 11% 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%

Roughneck 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 Roughneck is a low bonus based job, with 33% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

67% 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 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
33%
No Bonus
67%

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 Roughneck

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

Job Title Category Salary
Assistant Yard Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 297,000 CNY
Associate Analyst Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 340,400 CNY
Associate Landman Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 143,200 CNY
Auxiliary Equipment Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 128,900 CNY
Biomass Plant Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 159,500 CNY
Biomass Power Plant Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 437,300 CNY
Chemical Plant Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 265,000 CNY
Chief Contract Compliance Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 327,300 CNY
Completions Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 308,900 CNY
Cost Controller Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 233,900 CNY
Cost Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 330,700 CNY
Crude Oil Marketing Representative Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 362,200 CNY
Dispatcher Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 137,400 CNY
Distribution Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 444,300 CNY
Dragline Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 154,700 CNY
Driller Offsider Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 116,380 CNY
Dump Truck Driver Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 130,400 CNY
Electric and Gas Operations Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 744,700 CNY
Energy Advisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 502,200 CNY
Energy Analyst Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 464,900 CNY
Energy Auditor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 386,400 CNY
Energy Dispatch Director Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 528,600 CNY
Energy Technical Assistant Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 208,600 CNY
Energy Technical Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 378,800 CNY
Energy Technical Support Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 384,200 CNY
Energy Technical Trainer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 282,300 CNY
Engineering Geologist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 552,400 CNY
Exploration Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 562,200 CNY
Field Safety Auditor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 361,500 CNY
Fluids Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 308,300 CNY
Fuel Cell Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 351,200 CNY
Fuel Cell Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 159,100 CNY
Fuels Handler Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 157,600 CNY
Gas Compressor Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 148,300 CNY
Gas Distribution Plant Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 257,700 CNY
Gas Supply Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 483,400 CNY
Geologist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 595,300 CNY
Geophysicist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 596,800 CNY
Geothermal Production Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 559,000 CNY
Geothermal Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 215,100 CNY
HSE Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 308,300 CNY
HSE Officer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 195,200 CNY
HSE Supervisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 243,000 CNY
HSEQ Administrator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 231,000 CNY
Inspector Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 309,800 CNY
Instructor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 266,000 CNY
Instrument Designer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 240,500 CNY
Lead Technical Field Advisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 412,000 CNY
Logistics and Tool Coordinator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 292,000 CNY
Maintenance Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 314,500 CNY
Maintenance Superintendent Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 283,400 CNY
Material Controller Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 225,300 CNY
Mine Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 301,700 CNY
Mine Surveyor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 362,200 CNY
Mining Project Administrator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 279,400 CNY
Mining Project Assistant Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 228,000 CNY
Mining Project Controls Consultant Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 341,900 CNY
Mining Project Coordinator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 288,700 CNY
Mining Project Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 312,400 CNY
Mining Project Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 424,900 CNY
Mining Site Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 412,000 CNY
Mining Team Leader Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 348,300 CNY
NDT Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 197,600 CNY
Oil Service Unit Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 176,800 CNY
Oil Trader Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 413,900 CNY
Oilwell Pumper Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 125,100 CNY
Petroleum Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 369,300 CNY
Petroleum Geologist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 556,000 CNY
Petroleum Pump System Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 187,300 CNY
Petroleum Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 200,000 CNY
Pipeline Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 124,400 CNY
Power Coordinator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 201,100 CNY
Power Plant Operations Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 598,600 CNY
Power Plant Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 265,000 CNY
Radio Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 139,100 CNY
Reliability Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 312,400 CNY
Reservoir Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 312,400 CNY
Risk Analyst Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 377,200 CNY
Scaffolder Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 207,700 CNY
Shutdown Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 281,500 CNY
Solar Energy Installation Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 492,400 CNY
Solar Energy Systems Engineer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 327,800 CNY
Solar Photovoltaic Installer Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 215,100 CNY
Solar Thermal Technician Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 194,600 CNY
Supply Operations Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 518,300 CNY
Sustainability Specialist Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 510,000 CNY
System Development Advisor Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 367,900 CNY
Tanker Truck Driver Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 123,400 CNY
Utility Operator Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 172,200 CNY
Wind Energy Project Manager Oil / Gas / Energy / Mining 426,700 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 369,300 CNY
Changchun 315,900 CNY
Changsha 296,000 CNY
Chengdu 349,300 CNY
Chongqing 369,300 CNY
Dalian 308,300 CNY
Dongguan 301,600 CNY
Foshan 314,500 CNY
Fuzhou 314,500 CNY
Guangzhou 367,900 CNY
Hangzhou 353,600 CNY
Harbin 348,300 CNY
Jinan 344,600 CNY
Kunming 301,600 CNY
Nanjing 327,300 CNY
Qingdao 330,700 CNY
Quanzhou 299,500 CNY
Shanghai 385,300 CNY
Shantou 327,800 CNY
Shenyang 339,100 CNY
Shenzhen 327,800 CNY
Suzhou 311,700 CNY
Tianjin 341,900 CNY
Wenzhou 318,800 CNY
Wuhan 351,900 CNY
Wuxi 273,000 CNY
Xi an 351,200 CNY
Xiamen 286,400 CNY
Zhengzhou 273,000 CNY

Salary Comparison by State

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

City Average Salary
Anhui 353,600 CNY
Beijing 305,600 CNY
Chongqing 308,900 CNY
Fujian 341,400 CNY
Gansu 297,000 CNY
Guangdong 384,500 CNY
Guangxi 332,100 CNY
Guizhou 317,700 CNY
Hainan 275,200 CNY
Hebei 362,200 CNY
Heilongjiang 339,100 CNY
Henan 367,200 CNY
Hubei 363,000 CNY
Hunan 351,900 CNY
Jiangsu 375,200 CNY
Jiangxi 327,300 CNY
Jilin 314,500 CNY
Liaoning 320,500 CNY
Nei Monggol 301,700 CNY
Ningxia 268,900 CNY
Qinghai 277,400 CNY
Shaanxi 340,000 CNY
Shandong 369,900 CNY
Shanghai 309,800 CNY
Shanxi 312,400 CNY
Sichuan 376,800 CNY
Tianjin 279,400 CNY
Xinjiang Uygur 297,000 CNY
Xizang [Tibet] 263,900 CNY
Yunnan 341,400 CNY
Zhejiang 363,000 CNY

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