6 Lucrative Job Alternatives to Teaching in China

6 Lucrative Job Alternatives to Teaching in China
Jan 06, 2017 By Bo Brennan , eChinacities.com

6 Lucrative Job Alternatives to Teaching in China
Photo: york.ac.uk

Twenty years ago, when China was first developing, foreigners were offered high paying jobs with a bevy of other incentives to help promote Chinese companies. Then, as more and more Chinese workers became skilled in various high-level positions, those jobs slowly transitioned away from former foreign experts, forcing a vast majority of foreigners into teaching positions. However, that is not to say that there are no opportunities for those with suitable qualifications. Here are six lucrative jobs expats in China are in high demand for.

1) Translator
One doesn't necessarily need an advance degree to become a translator, just an advanced level of Chinese and the credentials to prove it, the most common and prominent being the HSK test. There are a number of ways through which to make a profit translating between Chinese and English. For example, if you freelance through websites like Elance.com, or any China-based expat website with job listings, you'll be able to earn 80-130 RMB per hour depending on your educational background and Chinese language proficiency.

Be careful though when you do freelance work, especially in China, as it tends to operate in a grey area of legality when it comes to taxes. Conversely, many fluent Chinese speaking expats choose full-time translating positions with either private companies or with various government institutions. For example, if you are translating for a law firm, you can earn 10,000-18,000 RMB per month, although these positions require an excellent grasp of both English and Chinese, as you will be drafting complex legal documents in both languages.

Unfortunately, there is one major downside to working as a translator in China: competition from your Chinese counterparts will be incredibly intense, as most Chinese have been studying English since they were six or seven years old, essentially giving those who stuck with it through university a massive comparative advantage. Suffice it to say, your Chinese language proficiency will have to be pretty stellar to even try to compete with them—two years of Chinese in university is probably not going to cut it.

2) Hotel management
In wake of China's booming economy, China's hospitality industry has also grown by leaps and bounds in recent years. Radisson, Hilton, Shangri-La, and Portman-Ritz are all international hotel brands associated with prestige and money. With more and more famous movie stars and high-level CEO's coming through town, the managers and upper division staff at such luxury hotels are seeing big salary increases to match the many demands of their jobs.

According to China Hotel Magazine's 2011 Salary Survey Report, the average salaries for department managers and directors at 5-star hotels are 11,000 RMB per month and 21,000 RMB per month respectively. If you're promoted to the general manager of an international 5-star hotel, you can expect upwards of 50,000-60,000 RMB per month. And as an added bonus, you never know when you'll get the chance to meet famous movie stars or singers.

3) Chef and restaurateur
This job typically goes hand-in-hand with the one listed above. If you live in a city like Shanghai, Beijing, or Hong Kong, names like Paul Pairet, Eduardo Vargas, Jun Trinh, and Alain Ducasse should sound awfully familiar, even if you're not employed in the food service industry. And even for those who don't enjoy pseudo-celebrity status in their respective city, many chefs and restaurateurs are able to earn a very agreeable wages in China, with average monthly salary for a head chef at a high-end restaurant somewhere in the neighborhood of 21,000 RMB per month. And if you've already gone through the rigorous process of becoming Michelin certified, you can expect to bring in even more. But if you're just getting started, there's no need to worry—even inexperienced chefs in lower positions are able to pull in 10,000 RMB per month depending on experience and the restaurant.

4) Engineer
Engineers, both Chinese and foreign, have greatly benefited from the massive amount of construction in China during the last decade. Yet, while Chinese engineers fresh out of university are only making about 6,000-10,000 RMB per month (with chemical and mechanical engineers earning quite a bit more), the outlook for well-qualified foreign engineers is much, much better. With eight or more years of experience and a university degree, a foreign plant manager in China can earn upwards of 70,000-110,000 RMB per month!

5) Accountant
Accountants are in high demand all over the world, and this is no different in China. While most of the positions are filled by Chinese, there are still ample opportunities for foreigners with a decent Chinese language proficiency to succeed in Chinese firms. According to the J.M. Gemini research firm, the highest paid accounting job for foreigners in China is the Director of Accounting, which earns a monthly salary of more than 60,000 RMB a month! Granted, such a position requires 10-15 years experience in the field, as well as a BA or MA in Accounting plus a CPA (certified public accounting).

It should be noted that the accounting standards are different than those in America or other Western countries, but the Chinese guidelines are slowly getting replaced by the International Accounting Standards, so it should be easier to apply for Chinese firms in the future with your Western credentials. Slightly more attainable for younger accountants, the typical monthly salary for a Finance Analyst in China with three to six years experience and a degree in accounting or finance is 13,000-27,000 RMB per month.

6) CEO and marketing director
A high salary goes without saying with this position. Foreign GMs and CEOs have been coming to China for years and there is a good reason why. A general manager CRM (Customer Relationship Management) with 15+ years of experience is going to net you around 100,000 - 150,000+ RMB per month. Yet, if you are a CEO you're probably used to making that kind of money anywhere. A bit further down the totem pole you'll find that a marketing director position for foreigners will land you 50,000-75,000 RMB per month depending on the company. Obviously, since this is the highest paid job on the list, it will require at the very least an MBA, preferably an International MBA with a focus on Asia, and many years of experience doing business in China.   

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Keywords: non teaching jobs in China working in China making money in China high paying jobs in China employment in China

11 Comments

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victorale

you forgot to add university professor

Jan 23, 2017 14:49 Report Abuse

Robk

I make around the CEO level salary however I am no CEO. I am just a freelancer in the area of UI/UX design. My clients are all global-remote clients. If you gain some coding/design skills and you speak native English... this is a very feasible reality. It is not just a good way to get out of being trapped into the ESL world but a great way to stop yourself from being trapped in ANY society.

Jan 08, 2017 23:06 Report Abuse

Andy7790

Chef definitely sounds good to me.

Jan 08, 2017 11:55 Report Abuse

syoung108

There are management jobs in the teaching industry that go overooked. That's where the bigger money in education is in this country. Foreign companies aren't looking for CEOs. They already have one. Fluency in Chinese can open some doors, but having the ability to communicate and produce something of worth is the real deal. And, if you don't like China, there are a couple hundred other countries that you can f*ck off in. Having interviewed hundreds of teachers, I can say that the real ones are far and few between. But, there are plenty of jobs here. Foreigners are better off than 99% of the rest of China's population. Be happy that there's a job for you here. Just don't whine about it. Go home if you don't like it. Then you'll have someone to whine to who also doesn't give a sh*t, only you'll be able to do it in your native language!

Sep 06, 2012 06:23 Report Abuse

Gxi

100% agree,
Even though China has developed a lot these years. But lots companies still like to hire people from outside China. Managements, out look are still very important .

Sep 04, 2012 21:27 Report Abuse

Tony

Oh yeah! I came here to teach English, but instead I'll just apply for that engineering or CEO position.

HELLO! People who do those jobs are SENT here from companies back home.

Sep 04, 2012 10:09 Report Abuse

Tony

I have never read an article blaming unemployment on a lack of degrees. I've also never met an engineer teaching in China and never met someone doing those other jobs who wasn't sent from their company abroad.

Sep 04, 2012 17:31 Report Abuse

Tony

Except the massive media push has blamed the loss of the manufacturing sector for the economic woes of the US, not the lack of degrees. Great, you found an article by one shitty unheard of publication that was circulated, hardly a mass media campaign.

As well, that article says "key to the future" not "reason for the present"

Read, think, talk.

Sep 04, 2012 19:18 Report Abuse

Tony

You're funny. No one dreams of "A great life in China" people come here out of curiousity for a few years. This country sucks compared to the places we come from.

Sep 04, 2012 10:11 Report Abuse

Tony

If you need to be treated "Like a rock star" to feel good about yourself I feel for you. I actually hated that most about China. It's not too late for you to become a person of substance!

Sep 04, 2012 17:29 Report Abuse