A Complete Guide to China’s Minimum Wage Levels by Province, City, and District

Posted by Reading Time: 6 minutes

Jan. 28 – As different parts of the country have very different living standards, China does not have a unified minimum wage level for the entire nation. Instead, the task of setting minimum wages falls on the shoulders of local governments. Each province, municipality, autonomous region, and even each district sets its own minimum wage level according to local conditions.

Typically how it works is the provincial government sets out multiple minimum wage “classes” for the region as a whole, and each city and county within the region chooses the appropriate minimum wage level based on local economic conditions and living standards. For example, in its latest round of minimum wage increases, Zhejiang set out four minimum wage “classes” across the province, with some top-tier cities such as Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou choosing the highest minimum wage standard (“Class A”), while other cities, including Jiaxin, Jinhua and Taizhou, settled on the next-highest minimum wage level (“Class B”). However, for cities like Shaoxin and Yiwu, the local governments have not yet decided on which minimum wage level is most suitable for their respective region.

Twenty-three regions across China adjusted their minimum wage levels in 2012, including: Beijing, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shenzhen, Shangdong, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Shanxi, Yunnan, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Xinjiang, Fujian, Hainan, Qinghai, Hunan, Hebei, Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang.

Moreover, four regions – Zhejiang, Beijing, Henan and Shaanxi – have improved their minimum wage levels since January 1, 2013. With these latest updates now in effect, Zhejiang’s “Class A” cities now rank second in the nation at RMB1,470 per month, behind only Shenzhen (which stands apart from Guangdong Province for purposes of minimum wage calculations). However, Beijing still has the nation’s highest minimum hourly wage rate at RMB15.2, followed by Xinjiang and Shenzhen at RMB13.4 and RMB13.3, respectively.

Minimum wages across China’s various regions are required to be raised at least once every two years as a matter of State policy – Guangdong Province, for example, last updated its minimum wage levels in 2011, and is expected to release new figures around April of this year. Furthermore, according to the country’s Employment Promotion Plan, minimum wage levels in China should grow by at least 13 percent annually through to 2015, and the minimum wage levels in most areas should not be lower than 40 percent of the average local salary. Under such policies, minimum wage levels across the country have registered an average 12.6 percent annual growth rate from 2008-2012.

Monthly and hourly minimum wage levels across all municipalities and provinces in China can be found in the charts and graphics below.

Which “Class” Does My City Fall Under?

Anhui
Class A District

  • Hefei

Class B District

  • Maanshan

Class C District

  • Wuhu
  • Huainan
  • Huaibei
  • Tongling

Class D District

  • Anqing
  • Huangshan
  • Chaohu

Class E District

  • Fuyang
  • Suzhou
  • Liuan

Class F District

  • Feidong County
  • Wuhu County
  • Fengtai County

Chongqing
Class A District

  • Wanzhou District
  • Yuzhong District
  • Fuling District
  • Dadukou District
  • Jiangbei District

Class B District

  • Liangping County
  • Chengkou County
  • Fengdu County

Fujian
Class A District

  • Xiamen

Class B District

  • Fuzhou
  • Fuqing
  • Changle
  • Jinjiang

Class C District

  • Wuyishan
  • Jianyang
  • Zhangping

Class D District

  • Ninghua County
  • Jianning County
  • Taining County
  • Mingxi County

Gansu
Class A District

  • Lanzhou
  • Jiayuguan
  • Yumen
  • Dunhuang

Class B District

  • Hezuo
  • Yuzhong County
  • Guazhou County
  • Yongdeng County

Class C District

  • Linxia
  • Huining County
  • Lingtai County
  • Xiahe County

Class D District

  • Taian County
  • Gangu County
  • Shandan County
  • Wushan County

Guangdong
Class A District

  • Guangzhou

Class B District

  • Zhuhai
  • Foshan
  • Dongguan
  • Zhongshan

Class C District

  • Huizhou
  • Shantou
  • Jiangmen

Class D District

  • Shaoguan
  • Heyuan
  • Meizhou

Guangxi
Class A District

  • Nanning
  • Liuzhou
  • Guilin
  • Wuzhou
  • Beihai

Class B District

  • Fangchenggang
  • Qinzhou
  • Guigang
  • Yulin
  • Baise

Class C District

  • County-level cities

Class D District

  • Counties and autonomous counties

Guizhou
Class A District

  • Guiyang
  • Liupanshui
  • Zunyi
  • Anshun

Class B District

  • Tongren
  • Fuquan
  • Kaiyang County

Class C District

  • Xiuwen County
  • Xifeng County
  • Fenggang County

Hainan
Class A District

  • Haikou
  • Sanya

Class B District

  • Qionghai
  • Danzhou

Class C District

  • Other cities and counties

Hebei
Class A District

  • Shijiazhuang
  • Baoding
  • Langfang
  • Tangshan
  • Qinghuangdao

Class B District

  • Handan
  • Xintai
  • Hengshui
  • Zhangjiakou
  • Chengde

Class C District

  • Shenzhou
  • Xinle
  • Yizhou

Class D District

  • Zanhuang County
  • Shunping County
  • Tang County
  • Pingxiang County

Heilongjiang
Class A District

  • Harbin
  • Daqing

Class B District

  • Qiqihar
  • Mudanjiang
  • Jiamusi
  • Jixi
  • Hegang
  • Shuangyashan
  • Qitaihe
  • Suihua
  • Suifenhe
  • Fuyuan County

Class C District

  • Heihe
  • Yinchun
  • Jidong County
  • Daxinganling Region
  • County-level cities

Class D District

  • Other cities and counties

Henan
Class A District

  • Zhengzhou
  • Luoyang
  • Pingdingshan
  • Anyang
  • Hebi
  • Jiaozuo

Class B District

  • Kaifeng
  • Puyang
  • Nanyang
  • Shangqiu
  • Xinyang
  • Zhoukou

Class C District

  • Weihui
  • Kaifeng County
  • Lankao County
  • Luoshan County

Hubei
Class A District

  • Wuhan

Class B District

  • Huangshi
  • Xiangyang
  • Yichang
  • Jingzhou
  • Shiyan
  • Huanggang

Class C District

  • Yicheng
  • Danjiangkou
  • Guangshui
  • Yangxin County

Hunan
Class A District

  • Changsha
  • Zhuzhou

Class B District

  • Xiangtan
  • Yueyang
  • Changde

Class C District

  • Zhangjiajie
  • Yongzhou
  • Yiyang

Class D District

  • Loudi

Inner Mongolia
Class A District

  • Hohhot
  • Erenhot

Class B District

  • Hulunbuir
  • Xilinhot

Class C District

  • Bayanur
  • Ulanhot

Class D District

  • Arxan
  • Zhuozi County

Jiangsu
Class A District

  • Nanjing
  • Suzhou
  • Zhenjiang
  • Changzhou
  • Wuxi

Class B District

  • Yangzhou
  • Nantong
  • Liangyungang

Class C District

  • Suqian

Jiangxi
Class A District

  • Nanchang

Class B District

  • Jiujiang
  • Shangrao
  • Ji’an
  • Pingxiang

Class C District

  • Yichun
  • Jinggangshan
  • Ruijin

Class D District

  • Xingzi County
  • Wuning County
  • Waizai County

Class E District

  • Duchang County
  • Xiushui County
  • Lianhua County

Jilin
Class A District

  • Changchun
  • Jilin

Class B District

  • Siping
  • Liaoyuan
  • Tonghua
  • Baishan
  • Songyuan
  • Yanji
  • Huichun
  • Qianguo County

Class C District

  • Baicheng
  • Other cities and areas

Liaoning
Class A District

  • Shenyang
  • Dalian

Class B District

  • Anshan
  • Fushun
  • Benxi
  • Dandong
  • Jinzhou
  • Yingkou
  • Liaoyang
  • Panjin

Class C District

  • Fuxin
  • Tieling
  • Chaoyang
  • Huludao

Ningxia
Class A District

  • Yinchuang
  • Shizuishan

Class B District

  • Wuzhong
  • Qingtongxia
  • Zhongwei

Class C District

  • Guyuan
  • Xiji County
  • Longde County
  • Pengyang County

Qinghai
Class A District

  • Haixi
  • Guoluo
  • Yushu

Class B District

  • Hainan
  • Haibei
  • Huangnan

Class C District

  • Xining
  • Haidong

Shaanxi
Class A District

  • Xi’an
  • Xianyang
  • Yulin

Class B District

  • Tongchuan
  • Weinan
  • Yanan
  • Baoji

Class C District

  • Ankang
  • Shangluo

Class D District

  • Lantian County
  • Shiquan County
  • Yijun County

Shandong
Class A District

  • Jinan
  • Qingdao
  • Zibo
  • Yantai
  • Weifang
  • Weihai

Class B District

  • Zaozhuang
  • Jining
  • Taian
  • Rizhao
  • Linyi
  • Binzhou

Class C District

  • Dezhou
  • Liaocheng
  • Heze

Shanxi
Class A District

  • Taiyuan
  • Jincheng
  • Datong
  • Changzhi

Class B District

  • Gaoping
  • Linfen
  • Houma
  • Qingxu County

Class C District

  • Yangqu County
  • Zuoyun County
  • Datong County
  • Changzhi County

Class D District

  • Loufan County
  • Daning County
  • Yonghe County
  • Yanggao County

Sichuan
Class A District

  • Chengdu

Class B District

  • Zigong
  • Panzhihua
  • Deyang
  • Mianyang
  • Yibing

Class C District

  • Guangyuan
  • Luzhou
  • Nanchong

Class D District

  • Liangshan
  • Ziyang

Tibet
Class A District

  • Lhasa
  • Shannan
  • Linzhi
  • Changdu
  • Naqu
  • Ali

Class B District

  • Shigatse

Xinjiang
Class A District

  • Karamay
  • Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County

Class B District

  • Urumqi
  • Fukang
  • Shihezi
  • Hutubi County
  • Manas County

Class C District

  • Turpan
  • Hami
  • Kashgar
  • Korla

Class D District

  • Yining
  • Toksun County
  • Barkol Kazak Autonomous County
  • Jeminay County

Yunan
Class A District

  • Kunming
  • Anning

Class B District

  • Yulong County
  • Counties under Kunming Jurisdiction

Class C District

  • Other counties

Zhejiang
Class A District

  • Hangzhou
  • Ningbo
  • Wenzhou

Class B District

  • Jiaxin
  • Jinhua
  • Taizhou

Class C District

  • Linan (2011)
  • Jiande (2011)
  • Zhoushan(2011)
  • Quzhou (2011)

Class D District

  • Pingyang County (2011)
  • Cangnan County (2011)
  • Wencheng County (2011)
  • Shuntai County (2011)

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