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

January 28, 2013 Posted by China Briefing 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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