What Are 2025 Developer Salaries at China’s Top Internet Companies?

In the mobile‑internet era, the classic BAT (Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) landscape has shifted, with ByteDance now often regarded as the new "B" and the market entering an "ATM" era where Tencent, Alibaba and Xiaomi dominate.

Below is a detailed look at the 2025 campus recruitment salaries for development positions (backend, frontend, client, testing) at the top ten Chinese internet companies, based on data collected from online surveys and student reports. Figures represent the total first‑year package, including base salary, signing bonus, stock, housing allowance and other benefits.

Tencent (2025 Campus Development Salary)

Previously, Tencent offered a 4k housing allowance each month and a 16‑month salary (12 months base + 4 months year‑end). This year the housing allowance is merged into the base salary, the 13th month is spread across the base, and the year‑end bonus is reduced to three months, resulting in a 15‑month salary structure and a higher monthly take‑home pay.

A total package above 350k RMB is considered the benchmark for top‑tier internet firms.

Alibaba (2025 Campus Development Salary)

Using the Taobao‑Tmall (淘天) group as a reference, Alibaba’s compensation includes a housing subsidy, an 800 CNY monthly transportation allowance, a one‑time moving stipend of 6k CNY, and, for hires in Hangzhou, additional municipal talent subsidies.

Xiaomi (2025 Campus Development Salary)

Xiaomi ranks third in the ATM list, largely thanks to its booming automotive division; the Xiaomi YU7 launch sold enough units in one day to match a year’s worth of orders for many competitors.

Pinduoduo (2025 Campus Development Salary)

Pinduoduo offers the highest salaries among the surveyed companies, but the work intensity is also high, typically 11 am–11 pm, six days a week.

Meituan (2025 Campus Development Salary)

Meituan, known as the “boiling‑water group,” provides frequent offers and a high conversion rate from internship to full‑time, making it a common first‑job destination for many graduates.

NetEase (2025 Campus Development Salary)

NetEase’s revenue is driven by gaming, especially the NetEase Thunderfire (雷火) division, which offers generous compensation for developers.

JD.com (2025 Campus Development Salary)

JD.com’s salary structure varies by division: JD Technology offers 20‑month salaries, JD Retail 19‑month, and JD Logistics 16‑month. First‑year packages often exceed 400k RMB, with some special offers surpassing 500k RMB.

Ctrip (2025 Campus Development Salary)

Ctrip’s annual packages range from 300k to 400k RMB, comparable to first‑tier internet firms, and the company offers flexible work arrangements, including two days of remote work per week for less demanding departments.

Kuaishou (2025 Campus Development Salary)

Kuaishou’s average first‑year salary for new graduates is above 400k RMB, with entry‑level offers increasing by about 2k RMB compared to the previous year.

Tencent Music (2025 Campus Development Salary)

Tencent Music also provides competitive compensation, reflecting its rising market valuation.

Overall, higher market valuation does not always translate to higher salaries; each company has its own compensation model, resulting in notable differences across the top ten internet firms.

In 2015, the top three by market value were Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu; by 2025 they are Tencent, Alibaba and Xiaomi, prompting speculation about the next decade’s leaders.