Mind the Gap: Starting Salaries and Skill-Demand for Chinese International Students.
The traditional career paths for Chinese students in recent years have revolved heavily around business, management, engineering, and other high-prestige study areas. However, we are now seeing a significant mismatch between the skills that offshore graduates gain and the immediate demands of high-growth industries in China. This bias is becoming more and more important as we see a massive shift in what industries are necessary in China in 2024.
Recent study results ranked the salaries for graduates in the most highly paid roles after working in the field for six months.
A direct shift toward technology-focused careers has been documented, where one in four Chinese students is studying mathematics or computer science. In addition to this, 20% of students study social sciences, fine or applied arts, humanities, or education. This diverse cohort is important for Chinese students to be equipped with the appropriate skills to compete in the China job market. However, these diverse skills are only applicable if job opportunities are presented.
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The high-skill roles in China’s tech sector are attracting the highest starting salaries as companies fight to fill skill gaps and remain competitive. Interestingly, as China’s economy emerges from the pandemic some of the most immediate needs for staff are in low-skilled less prestigious jobs.
Read our full whitepaper, “China Report Card: International Education Market Update”, to discover the implications of this demand gap and more about Chinese international students in 2024.
(Sources for this article)
Mycos College Graduates’ Employment Annual Report, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, June 2023 https://www.asiapacific.ca/publication/chinas-new-graduates-face-low-salary-growth-while-jobs-ict
USA Data - Institute of International Education, Open Doors, March 2023 https://opendoorsdata.org/data/international-students/fields-of-study-by-place-of-origin/
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Link to full whitepaper: https://www.umssocial.com/china-report-card-education-update/2023_link?s=guy