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| - Analysis: Hong Kong – China wage gap is not as wide as netizens often suggest
The topic of wage levels in Hong Kong is one of the frequently discussed topics on social media platforms in mainland China.
“If you go to Hong Kong, you can earn HK$40,000 (about US$5,150) a month — even as a dishwasher,” is a popular saying among Chinese internet users.
Although some users discuss such figures as a symbolic number reflecting higher salaries in Hong Kong, many others seem to believe even menial work pays exceptionally well in the city.
A common claim is that the minimum wage and basic salaries in Hong Kong are several times higher than those in mainland China.
For example, a Kuaishou user with over 100,000 followers said in his popular video that Hong Kong’s “minimum monthly salary” is HK$16,000, six times that of Shenzhen (RMB 2,360).
In a similar fashion, a Douyin account with nearly 50,000 followers claimed that Hong Kong’s minimum salary is HK$16,300 per month, which, according to his calculation, is seven times Shenzhen’s rate.
These two videos, posted in January and August this year, exemplify many such claims. As of this writing, they have over 155,000 likes, 13,000 saves, and 15,000 shares.
Since Hong Kong expanded its talent schemes and re-opened the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border in February, similar claims have proliferated.
Annie Lab looked into the minimum wage and average salaries in Hong Kong and found that such claims often exaggerate the differences.
Minimum wage: HK$40 per hour
According to the Hong Kong Labour Department, the statutory minimum wage currently stands at HK$40 per hour. This rate applies to all employees, including full-time and part-time workers, with few exceptions.
If one works eight hours a day, five days a week, the minimum salary amounts to approximately HK$7,040 per month (with 22 working days). Unlike mainland China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region does not set a “minimum monthly wage.”
Similarly, Oxfam Hong Kong simulated how much a person’s monthly income could be in January 2023.
The non-profit organization for poverty alleviation said a full-time elementary worker’s median weekly working hours is 49.7 hours, according to the Census and Statistics Department’s Report on Annual Earnings and Hours Survey 2021.
A person who works 26 days a month at the minimum wage rate of HK$40 per hour will earn a monthly salary of HK$9,651 (including one hour of paid meal breaks per day), which Oxfam said to be lower than what a family of two could get from local social security scheme on average.
Meanwhile, the mainland’s minimum wage is divided into monthly and hourly standards.
According to the Minimum Wage Regulations of China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the monthly minimum wage applies to full-time workers, while the hourly rate applies to part-time workers.
The amount differs depending on the region; for example, in 2024, the minimum monthly wage for full-time employees in Shenzhen is 2,360 yuan (RMB), and the hourly pay for part-time employees is 22.2 yuan per hour.
Origin of HK$16,300 monthly salary
Annie Lab tried to trace the origin of the supposed minimum monthly salary of HK$16,300, which is twice as much as a regular full-time workload with minimum wage will give an employee a month (HK$7,040-9,651).
In our investigation, we found that even a local accounting firm wrongly claims on its website that Hong Kong’s minimum monthly wage was raised from HK$15,300 to HK$16,300 in 2023.
One possible source of the figure is the Minimum Wage Ordinance (Cap. 608), which states that HK$16,300 is the current “monthly monetary cap” required for employers to record the total number of employees’ working hours.
In other words, if an employee’s wage exceeds HK$16,300 per month, the employer is exempt from recording that employee’s total working hours.
The Labour Department told Annie Lab through an e-mail exchange that this clause has nothing to do with minimum monthly salary. “The Monthly Monetary Cap is not the monthly SMW [statutory minimum wage],” the government agency wrote.
The department stressed that the $16,300 is solely for “determining whether the employer is required to keep records regarding the total number of hours worked by an employee in a wage period” under the Employment Ordinance.
Hong Kong’s high-paying jobs
In Hong Kong, specific sectors, such as the financial and medical industries, tend to pay significantly higher salaries than others, seemingly contributing to the perception of the wage gap on Chinese social media.
For instance, a trending video that received 58,000 likes on Kuaishou claimed that the starting salary for doctors and lawyers in Hong Kong is HK$100,000 per month.
This figure, however, is misleading. While many professionals in these fields may eventually earn such salaries or more, the starting salary for doctors and lawyers is typically much lower.
Take lawyers as an example; in the Hong Kong legal sector, years of experience are a critical benchmark in determining salary levels.
A fresh law graduate in Hong Kong will typically become a trainee solicitor upon graduation and can expect to earn a monthly salary of HK$15,000 to HK$35,000. They would then become junior lawyers, with a monthly salary of HK$30,000 to HK$50,000, according to the Hong Kong Talent Engage website under the Labour and Welfare Bureau.
Only when they obtain the title of a lawyer after being promoted from junior lawyers can they expect a monthly salary of HK$50,000 to HK$110,000, said the government agency.
The 2023-2024 Law Firm Salary Guide, published by consultant firm Taylor Root, indicates that in Hong Kong, “newly qualified” lawyers can expect to earn between HK$55,000 and HK$85,000 per month at local law firms or those based in mainland China, while those landing positions at international firms may see their monthly salaries higher, between HK$75,000 and HK$95,000.
However, the “newly qualified” does not equate to fresh graduates. For instance, at least two years of practical experience as a trainee within a law firm is mandated in Hong Kong before a solicitor officially attains the status of “newly qualified.”
One year of pupillage is required to qualify and practice as a barrister. During the pupillage, the barrister in training can expect to earn a salary of around HK$30,000, according to Education Bureau’s “life planning” information for the youths.
As for medical doctors, data from the Census and Statistics Department indicates that a fresh graduate with a bachelor’s degree can expect to earn an annual average of HK$506,000 (roughly HK$42,000 a month).
Meanwhile, service, retail, and manufacturing jobs offer much lower wages. According to the Census and Statistics Department data, the median monthly wage in Hong Kong stands at HK$19,800 in 2023.
‘Dishwasher myth’
We also looked into the origin of the “high-paying dishwasher job” narrative and traced it to a viral photo below.
This image began circulating on popular platforms like Xiaohongshu a couple of years ago, claiming that this restaurant in Hong Kong is offering to pay HK$45,000 a month for dishwashing jobs, which attracted lots of interest both in mainland China and Hong Kong.
Last year, local news media, such as HK01, debunked the claim by explaining that the HK$45,000 salary is packaged pay for subcontractors, which typically comprise multiple people to share the workload.
The restaurant told the news outlet that the job included not only washing dishes but also cleaning toilets, and the expected work hours were from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Some people from mainland China who live and work in Hong Kong also take to the internet to clarify the wage difference misconceptions.
For instance, a post on Xiaohongshu started a “salary reveal” thread, which now has nearly 2,000 comments. Many users share details about their professions, years of experience, and monthly salaries in Hong Kong.
One user shared a photo showing that a diner in Hong Kong is hiring kitchen staff and early-shift dishwashers with starting salaries of HK$17,000 and HK$14,010, respectively.
Several comments also pointed out that while salaries in Hong Kong are generally higher than in mainland China, the cost of living and other expenses are significantly higher, too.
Consulting firm Mercer compiles the global Cost of Living index annually. Their latest data put Hong Kong as the most expensive city in the world, whereas Shenzhen is ranked number 34.
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