Salary expectations for working in China?

[Renee’ Robinson]

Hi!

I have applied for a job in Beijing, China for Junior Landscape Architect and received an email asking to set up an interview online and my salary expectations.  As I have never even been to China, I’m not sure what I should be expecting.  My last salaried position was about $42,000/year in North Carolina.  Should I go much higher or just a bit or take what I can get?  Any thoughts?

 

Thanks!

[nca]

I was offered a job in China last year for about what you mentioned as previous salary. I declined the offer. From what I gathered, much of China (the offer I had was from Shenzhen) is pretty inexpensive, but I’ve also heard that the typical work day is around 9am to 10pm and there isn’t a lot of readily accessible outdoor recreation of you’re into that.

[Jason T. Radice]

I just got an e-mail with something similar in the same city as Nick mentioned. Be careful as there have been scams with promises to work in China or the middle east, they ask for your personal info to “process” your application, or ask for money upfront. Thay also may be recruiters looking to make a buck, and they charge you a small fortune for finding the job.

[ida]

Foreigners make about double what the Chinese make in the same firm and the same position in China.

 
For Chinese working in Beijing, entry-levels make +5,000 rmb, junior-levels +10,000 rmb, and senior levels make +20,000 rmb per month. So you can expect 20,000 rmb per month for a junior level position.

 
It also depends what office you work for. If it’s a large international company, you might be offered close to what you make in the States, but if it’s a local Chinese firm, don’t expect to make anywhere near what you make in the States.

 
I would just ask the interviewer how much they usually pay for someone with your experience. Keep in mind tax is 16% of pay. If you get an offer, ask about getting a work permit and who will cover the cost of that. Working with a visa is illegal in China (though everybody does it), you need a work permit to legally work there.

[D. Elden]

ida provides some good general information. I am currently working at a large Chinese architectural firm in Beijing and make 12,000RMB/month. This is a good salary for a Westerner and allows me to live comfortably. Asking for $42,000 sounds way too high.

 

Some things to consider: Rent is reasonably inexpensive compared to other large international cities (can one really rent a decent place in NYC for $600/month?). Utilities, cell phone, Internet are dirt cheap and you can eat a full-on meal at a restaurant for $5. If you live in Beijing, public transportation will get you where you want to go for ~$.30/ride. Cheap taxis are all over the place if you prefer. 

 

That being said, if you are seriously considering making the journey to China, you must prepare yourself for the way Chinese offices are run. There is often a sharp difference in what Westerners are used to. My personal experience has shown that Chinese managers do not provide much creative direction and oftentimes keep designers out of the information loop, which leaves us simply guessing on what the client wants. If you can stomach the unknown and uncertain nature of living abroad and working in a strange environment then you will be exposed to a wide range of incredible projects you would most likely not see back home. In the past month I have been asked to design: two landmark bridges, two river parks and a Tienanmen Square-sized plaza. Not just a small part of these sites — the ENTIRETY of the sites. 

 

Best of luck in your China job search.

[Renee’ Robinson]

Thanks for the response!  This really helps me get an idea of realistic expectations.  My interview is Monday night.  We will see how it goes!

[Justin W. Lee]

Best of Luck!

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