The average annual wage for employees in urban non-private units nationwide in 2025 was 129,441 yuan, representing a nominal increase of 4.3% compared to the previous year. Overall, the average annual wage for employees in urban units across China saw steady growth in 2025. Data released on the 15th shows that the average annual wage for employees in urban non-private units reached 129,441 yuan, with a nominal growth rate of 4.3%, which is 1.5 percentage points higher than the previous year's growth rate. After adjusting for price factors, the real growth was 4.2%. For employees in urban private units, the average annual wage was 71,590 yuan, with a nominal increase of 3.0%, up 1.3 percentage points from the previous year, and a real growth of 2.9% after price adjustments.
Among urban non-private units, the top three industries with the highest average annual wages remained Information Transmission, Software and Information Technology Services; Finance; and Scientific Research and Technical Services. Specifically, the average annual wage for employees in the Information Transmission, Software and Information Technology Services sector reached 248,752 yuan, ranking first. The Finance sector followed with an average of 211,164 yuan, while Scientific Research and Technical Services recorded 182,064 yuan.
In urban private units, the top three industries by average annual wage were Finance, Information Transmission, Software and Information Technology Services, and Scientific Research and Technical Services. The average annual wages in these sectors were 140,451 yuan, 128,166 yuan, and 83,560 yuan, respectively. These high-income industries are notably concentrated in major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou, which feature developed modern service sectors, high-tech industries, emerging industries, and a prominent headquarters economy, offering a greater number of high-paying positions.
An analysis of the 2025 average wage data for urban unit employees indicated that average wages continued to rise in most industries across both non-private and private urban units. The sustained expansion of new growth drivers is leading to optimized industrial economic development. Sectors such as Manufacturing, and Electricity, Heat, Gas, and Water Production and Supply saw relatively rapid wage growth. Within Manufacturing, average annual wages 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 Production and Supply sector, wages in non-private and private units increased by 7.1% and 4.5%, respectively.
In the tertiary industry, the Transportation, Storage, and Postal Services sector and the Education sector experienced faster wage growth. Average annual wages in the Transportation, Storage, and Postal Services sector grew by 4.8% in non-private units and 7.6% in private units. In the Education sector, 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 in 2025, the figure 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 price adjustments. The breakdown by position type is as follows: middle and senior management personnel averaged 210,016 yuan, a 3.4% increase; professional and technical personnel averaged 155,491 yuan, a 5.0% increase; clerical and related staff averaged 94,936 yuan, a 1.9% increase; social production and life service personnel averaged 79,857 yuan, a 2.9% increase; and production, manufacturing, and related personnel averaged 80,739 yuan, a 2.8% increase.
The analysis further noted that with the establishment and improvement of a skill-oriented compensation distribution system, a virtuous cycle linking improved remuneration with enhanced skills is gradually forming. Consequently, the average wage for professional and technical personnel maintained relatively 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 growth rate for all employees in such enterprises. Among domestic-funded enterprises above a designated size, professional and technical personnel saw the highest wage growth at 5.2%, exceeding the overall growth rate for all employees in these enterprises by 1.7 percentage points.
It is important to clarify that the wage figures refer to total labor compensation. This includes not only the actual wages, bonuses, and subsidies received by employees from their units but also the personal income tax, social insurance contributions, and housing provident fund contributions withheld by the units. It should be noted that the average wage is a statistical indicator reflecting the overall wage situation of a country, region, industry, or occupation. Changes in the average wage are influenced by macroeconomic policies and economic development, as well as by the operational conditions, employment methods, and workforce structure 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 job position.
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