Data on the average annual wage of employees in urban units across China for 2025 shows steady growth. According to figures released on the 15th, the average annual wage for employees in urban non-private sector units in 2025 was 129,441 yuan, a nominal increase of 4.3% year-on-year, which is 1.5 percentage points higher than the previous year's growth rate. After adjusting for inflation, the real growth was 4.2%. The average annual wage for employees in urban private sector units was 71,590 yuan, a nominal increase of 3.0%, which is 1.3 percentage points higher than the previous year, with a real growth of 2.9% after price factors are deducted.
Among urban non-private sector units, the top three industries by average annual wage remain information transmission, software, and information technology services; finance; and scientific research and technical services. Within the non-private sector, the average annual wage in information transmission, software, and information technology services reached 248,752 yuan, ranking first. The finance sector's average wage was 211,164 yuan, while scientific research and technical services recorded an average of 182,064 yuan.
In the urban private sector, the top three industries by average annual wage were finance; information transmission, software, and information technology services; and scientific research and technical services. Specifically, the average annual wage in the private finance sector was 140,451 yuan, in information transmission, software, and IT services it was 128,166 yuan, and in scientific research and technical services it was 83,560 yuan.
These high-income industries are predominantly concentrated in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou. These cities are characterized by well-developed modern service sectors, high-tech industries, emerging industries, and a prominent presence of corporate headquarters, offering a greater number of high-paying positions.
An analysis of the 2025 average wage data indicates that average wages for employees continued to rise in most industries across both urban non-private and private sector units. The expansion of new growth drivers has led to an improved industrial economic structure. Notably, the manufacturing sector, as well as the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water, experienced relatively rapid wage growth. In manufacturing, the average annual wage for employees in urban non-private and private units grew by 5.2% and 6.4% year-on-year, respectively. In the electricity, heat, gas, and water supply sector, the average annual wage for employees in non-private and private units increased by 7.1% and 4.5%, respectively. Within the tertiary sector, transportation, storage, postal services, and the education industry saw faster wage growth. In transportation, storage, and postal services, average annual wages in non-private and private units grew by 4.8% and 7.6%, respectively. In the education sector, average annual wages increased by 5.8% in non-private units and 5.3% in private units.
Looking at the average annual wage for employees in enterprises above a designated size, the figure for 2025 was 106,080 yuan, an increase of 3,628 yuan from the previous year, representing a nominal growth of 3.5% and a real growth of 3.4% after inflation adjustment. The breakdown by position is as follows: mid-level and senior managers averaged 210,016 yuan, a 3.4% increase; professional and technical personnel averaged 155,491 yuan, a 5.0% increase; clerical and related support staff averaged 94,936 yuan, a 1.9% increase; social production service and life service personnel averaged 79,857 yuan, a 2.9% increase; and production, manufacturing, and related workers averaged 80,739 yuan, a 2.8% increase.
The analysis indicates that with the establishment and improvement of a skill-oriented compensation distribution system, a positive feedback mechanism linking improved compensation with enhanced skills is gradually taking shape. Consequently, the average wage for professional and technical personnel has maintained rapid growth. In 2025, the average annual wage for professional and technical personnel in enterprises above a designated size grew by 5.0% year-on-year, which is 1.5 percentage points higher than the overall average wage growth rate for all employees in such enterprises. Among domestic-funded enterprises above the designated size, professional and technical personnel saw the highest wage growth rate at 5.2%, which is 1.7 percentage points higher than the overall average wage growth for all employees in these domestic enterprises.
It is important to note that the wage figures referred to here represent total labor compensation. This includes not only wages, bonuses, and subsidies actually received by employees from their units but also personal income tax, social insurance contributions, and housing provident fund payments withheld by the unit from individual wages. Average wage is a statistical indicator reflecting the overall wage situation of a country, region, industry, or occupation. Changes in average wage growth are influenced by macroeconomic policies and economic development, as well as by the operating conditions, employment models, and workforce structures of the legal entities themselves. Differences between an individual's wage level and growth rate and the national average should be analyzed comprehensively based on specific factors such as industry, region, employer, and position.
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