Average Train Driver Salary in China for 2024

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

A Train Driver working in China will typically earn around 114,000 CNY per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 56,460 CNY to the highest average salary of 181,600 CNY.

Average Annual Salary
114,000 CNY
Average Monthly Salary
9,500 CNY

Lowest Annual Salary
56,460 CNY
Lowest Monthly Salary
4,705 CNY

Highest Annual Salary
181,600 CNY
Highest Monthly Salary
15,133 CNY

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

Train Driver 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 Train Driver Salaries in China

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

Salary ranges

We already know that a Train Driver can earn between 56,460 CNY and 181,600 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 Train Driver in China is 118,380 CNY. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 118,380 CNY, and 50% of the population earn more than 118,380 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 Train Driver salary in China, 25% of the population are earning less than 78,620 CNY while 75% of the population earn more than 78,620 CNY.

75% of the population earn less than 152,000 CNY, and 25% of the population earn more than 152,000 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.

Train Driver 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 train driver 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 Train Driver in China that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 65,920 CNY.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Train Driver salary would increase to 87,520 CNY.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Train Driver, the average salary would be 119,080 CNY.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 148,300 CNY.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Train Driver with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 159,100 CNY.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Train Driver with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 169,000 CNY.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
65,920 CNY
2-5 Years +29%
87,520 CNY
5-10 Years +38%
119,080 CNY
10-15 Years +24%
148,300 CNY
15-20 Years +7%
159,100 CNY
20+ Years +7%
169,000 CNY

Train Driver 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 Train Driver 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 Train Driver in China with a high school education can earn an average salary of 87,520 CNY.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Train Driver in China with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 125,100 CNY.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Train Driver in China with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 172,200 CNY.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
87,520 CNY
Certificate or Diploma +43%
125,100 CNY
Bachelor's Degree +38%
172,200 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.

Train Driver 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 train driver will earn an average of 119,860 CNY, while a female train driver will earn around 110,380 CNY.

This means that a male train driver earns approximately 9% more than a female train driver for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in China

Male
119,860 CNY
Female -9%
110,380 CNY

Train Driver 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 Train Driver in China is around 9% every 17 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 = ( 9 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 6%

What this means is that a Train Driver in China can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 6% 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%

Train Driver 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 Train Driver is a low bonus based job, with 31% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

69% 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
31%
No Bonus
69%

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 Train Driver

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

Job Title Category Salary
Bus Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 107,900 CNY
Car Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 104,440 CNY
CDL Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 128,500 CNY
CDL Truck Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 125,100 CNY
Chauffeur Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 137,400 CNY
Courier Coordinator Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 172,200 CNY
Courier Sales Manager Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 266,000 CNY
Deck Officer Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 119,900 CNY
Delivery Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 103,900 CNY
Delivery Specialist Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 136,200 CNY
Delivery Supervisor Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 148,300 CNY
Dispatcher Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 96,600 CNY
Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 101,900 CNY
Driving Instructor Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 137,400 CNY
Goods Receiving Expediter Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 104,500 CNY
Limousine Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 130,400 CNY
Parking Inspector Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 136,100 CNY
School Bus Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 120,880 CNY
Shuttle Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 106,600 CNY
Taxi Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 113,840 CNY
Third Officer Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 99,460 CNY
Tram Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 107,320 CNY
Transport Officer Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 108,120 CNY
Transportation and Shipping Supervisor Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 168,100 CNY
Transportation Manager Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 424,300 CNY
Truck Driver Courier / Delivery / Transport / Drivers 106,600 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 128,900 CNY
Changchun 113,220 CNY
Changsha 106,600 CNY
Chengdu 125,100 CNY
Chongqing 128,500 CNY
Dalian 109,340 CNY
Dongguan 111,240 CNY
Foshan 112,620 CNY
Fuzhou 111,460 CNY
Guangzhou 128,900 CNY
Hangzhou 137,400 CNY
Harbin 123,400 CNY
Jinan 119,860 CNY
Kunming 103,200 CNY
Nanjing 125,700 CNY
Qingdao 112,560 CNY
Quanzhou 111,240 CNY
Shanghai 137,400 CNY
Shantou 119,900 CNY
Shenyang 124,400 CNY
Shenzhen 119,860 CNY
Suzhou 117,440 CNY
Tianjin 125,100 CNY
Wenzhou 116,180 CNY
Wuhan 134,600 CNY
Wuxi 104,600 CNY
Xi an 129,000 CNY
Xiamen 104,900 CNY
Zhengzhou 98,820 CNY

Salary Comparison by State

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

City Average Salary
Anhui 127,700 CNY
Beijing 107,580 CNY
Chongqing 108,320 CNY
Fujian 117,600 CNY
Gansu 114,900 CNY
Guangdong 130,400 CNY
Guangxi 127,700 CNY
Guizhou 119,020 CNY
Hainan 102,380 CNY
Hebei 134,600 CNY
Heilongjiang 111,700 CNY
Henan 134,600 CNY
Hubei 128,900 CNY
Hunan 124,400 CNY
Jiangsu 130,400 CNY
Jiangxi 125,700 CNY
Jilin 107,860 CNY
Liaoning 123,400 CNY
Nei Monggol 104,500 CNY
Ningxia 101,900 CNY
Qinghai 103,820 CNY
Shaanxi 114,940 CNY
Shandong 136,200 CNY
Shanghai 110,340 CNY
Shanxi 112,560 CNY
Sichuan 136,100 CNY
Tianjin 110,120 CNY
Xinjiang Uygur 105,620 CNY
Xizang [Tibet] 102,460 CNY
Yunnan 118,800 CNY
Zhejiang 124,400 CNY

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