Those visiting China or curious about China wonder how much the minimum wage is in China. In Ocotber 2025, China’s minimum wages announced. Minimum wages in China vary by province. In October 2025, the highest minimum wage is in Shanghai at 2740 RMB ($386), the lowest minimum wage is in Jiangxi province at 2000 RMB ($282), and the highest minimum hourly wage is in the capital Beijing at 27.7 RMB ($3.91). The figures show a very slight increase compared to the previous year. For example, in 2024, the minimum wage in Shanghai was 2,690 RMB, which was equivalent to approximately US$386 at the time. The lowest minimum wage was 1,850 RMB (US$258), which was in Jiangxi province, as it is this year. As in 2025, the highest minimum hourly wage last year was 26.4 RMB ($3.6) in the capital Beijing.
According to October 2025 data, the provinces with the lowest minimum wages in China are as follows: Jiangxi (2000 Yuan), Hainan (2010 Yuan), Gansu (2020 Yuan), Xinjiang (2070 Yuan), Heilongjiang (2080 Yuan), and Qinghai (2080 Yuan) provinces.
On the other hand, the figures show that the minimum wage in Shanghai is 2690 RMB and in Beijing 2420 RMB, but it is almost impossible to find workers willing to work for this amount in Shanghai. For example, in Shanghai, an average worker in places such as restaurants and cafes earns 5200-7200 RMB (between 727 and 1006 US dollars). Since the cost of living in big cities is very high, earnings are generally high in proportion to this. At the same time, this situation can also be observed in other provinces. Foreign students studying in China receive 3,000 RMB ($423) for master’s students and 3,500 yuan ($494) for PhD students from the Chinese Government Scholarship.
As of October 2025, minimum wages in other provinces (RMB / Yuan)
Tianjin: 2510
Hebei: 2200
Shanxi: 2150
İç Moğolistan: 2270
Liaoning: 2100
Jilin: 2120
Heilongjiang: 2080
Shanghai: 2740
Jiangsu: 2490
Zhejiang: 2490
Anhui: 2320
Fujian: 2265
Jiangxi: 2000
Shandong: 2400
Henan: 2100
Hubei: 2210
Hunan: 2200
Guangdong: 2500
Shenzhen: 2520
Guangxi: 2200
Hainan: 2010
Chongqing: 2330
Sichuan: 2330
Guizhou: 2130
Yunnan: 2170
Xizhang: 2100
Shaanxi: 2160
Gansu: 2020
Qinghai: 2080
Ninxia: 2235
Xinjiang: 2070
Writer: Necati Demircan / Shanghai
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