Why AI Engineers in China Earn Over 46,000 RMB Monthly – Salary Trends & Market Insights

OpenAI’s leadership turmoil has settled, and during the “court intrigue” Nvidia, Salesforce and other firms have poached OpenAI staff.

Simultaneously, Chinese companies are fiercely competing for AI talent.

According to “Maimai High‑Recruit”, in the first eight months of 2023, five AI positions compete for two candidates, and the average monthly salary for newly created AI roles exceeds 46,000 RMB.

Domestic new AI positions average over 46,000 RMB per month

Nvidia’s chief scientist Jim Fan publicly welcomed OpenAI employees, and the unicorn Adept reached out to several OpenAI engineers after Altman’s dismissal.

In China, the AI talent market remains extremely strong. Maimai data shows the AI talent supply‑demand ratio fell from 0.63 in 2022 to 0.39 in Jan‑Aug 2023, meaning five positions vie for two candidates.

Some companies even offer million‑RMB annual salaries to fresh graduates from universities such as Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications for algorithm roles.

Algorithm engineer positions dominate new AI openings, accounting for 46.45% of all new roles, followed by natural‑language‑processing (11.04%) and algorithm researcher (5.36%).

With AI applications expanding into autonomous driving and robotics, image‑recognition/computer‑vision (6.68%) and intelligent‑driving‑system engineer (5.27%) positions are also in high demand.

From Jan to Aug 2023, the most scarce role was intelligent‑driving‑system engineer, with a supply‑demand ratio of 0.38.

2023 AI talent average monthly salary exceeds 46,000 RMB, with ChatGPT researchers earning 66,200 RMB

The top three highest‑paid new AI roles are ChatGPT researcher (66,244 RMB), algorithm researcher, and AI engineer. All top‑10 new AI positions have average salaries above 50,000 RMB.

These roles—deep learning, machine learning, NLP, computer vision—require high technical thresholds.

Internet sector accounts for over 20% of new AI positions

From Jan‑Aug 2023, the pure internet industry contributed the most new AI jobs (20.78%), followed by new life services (7.99%), gaming (7.78%), e‑commerce retail (7.59%) and fintech (5.98%). Automotive, smart hardware and electronics also entered the top‑10.

Geographically, AI talent is concentrated in first‑tier cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Guangzhou host 88% of new positions, with Beijing alone holding 36.46%.

Employers demand experienced and highly educated candidates: 42.19% of new AI jobs require over five years of experience, and 95.88% require at least a bachelor’s degree, with 44.17% demanding a master’s or PhD.

AIGC talent demand keeps rising; April saw a near‑doubling of new positions

Since ChatGPT’s popularity, AIGC roles surged, especially after March, with April’s new AIGC postings almost twice those of previous months. By mid‑year the growth stabilized.

Average AIGC salaries rose from 47,015 RMB in January to over 52,000 RMB in March, and stabilized around 60,000 RMB from June onward.

According to Liu Xinwei, former Huawei senior recruitment director, the AI era will be comparable to the “Internet’s 20‑year” boom, benefiting most people, but repetitive, standardized work will be overtaken by machines, while independent thinking, curiosity and empathy remain uniquely human strengths.