Salaries in China surged last year and are expected to increase further this year, according to a survey conducted by global human resources firm Mercer Human Resources Consulting.

Related readings:  Shanghai residents earned most  Hong Kong property pros best paid in Asia  'Salary hike in HK lower than in mainland?'  Foreign firms to raise salaries  Salary is prime factor for changel

The survey showed wages in China rose an average 7.94 percent year-on-year in 2006. And Mercer estimated salaries would continue to increase by 7.7 percent in 2007.

Wages in China's oil and IT industries saw a substantial increase of 8.3 percent last year.

The survey covered 1,800 domestic and foreign enter-prises in industries including high-tech, IT, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, retail, auto, oil and finance.

Shanghai saw the strongest pay surge, with average wages increasing 7.7 percent. Guangzhou and Beijing followed at 7.6 percent and 7.2 percent respectively.

For the high-tech industry, salaries increased in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing 7.3 percent, 6.9 percent and 6.5 percent respectively.

Car industry wages climbed 8.3 percent, 7.9 percent and 7.8 percent respectively in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing.

Mercer's survey was carried out in 13 Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and second-tier cities such as North China's Tianjin Municipality, Nanjing and Suzhou in East China's Jiangsu Province, as well as Dalian in Northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The survey also showed that salaries of mid-level managerial staff climbed 8.5 percent, much higher than the average of all employees interviewed.

1

2

(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)