China's base salaries across job grades higher than India

It’s now official! India has the lowest annual base salaries, in the Asia Pacific region, according to the research conducted by global advisory, broking and solutions-Willis Towers Watson.

The report highlights that China’s base salaries across all job grades are between 64 percent and 100 percent higher than in India. The research was carried out among more than 5500 companies in the Asia Pacific region which included about 313 firms from India.

For white collar professionals at entry-level, India and the Philippines provide an average annual base salary of approximately 11,000 US dollars which is among the lowest base salaries in the Asia Pacific region. In comparison, Chinese professionals earn twice the amount, says the survey. The same story continues in the senior management level as well. India offers the lowest annual base salary for senior-level professionals in the Asia Pacific region at 66,000 US dollars. Again, China “outpays” India by offering almost twice the amount for senior-level employees. However, China is not the highest paying country in the region. Australia gets the top spot for highest annual base salary at both entry and mid-management level while Singapore offers the most salary at top management levels.

The report might not be welcomed by professionals all over the country, but on an investment perspective, this is good news. Multi-national companies are looking for “a young and tech-savvy workforce with comparatively lower salaries” which places India as the most favorable destination. Moreover, the report mentions another important fact. With an aging population and a shrinking workforce, it is for sure that salaries in China will remain higher. This gives India edge another, owing to its comparatively younger and skilled workforce.