College graduates in Shanghai and Beijing enjoy the highest monthly starting salaries across China, more than 3,000 yuan (US$ 473) on average, according to a starting-salary report recently issued by Zhaopin.com, one of China's leading HR service providers.

The report shows that new recruits in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and other developed coastal cities also have comparatively higher starting salaries, more than 2,000 yuan(US$ 315) on average per month. In contrast, Harbin pays the lowest starting salary to fresh graduates, more than 1,500 yuan (US$ 237).

The report, based on a survey of more than 3.3 million college graduates, analyzes the general situation of starting salaries of the graduates with different degrees from 18 industries in 24 cities between 2008 and 2011.

Also read: Top 10 industries for highest starting salaries

                  Top 10 highest-paid positions for graduates

Of the cities in Central China, only Wuhan and Chasha offer a higher starting salary for new graduates. The industry transfer trend in recent years has been creating new employment opportunities for the six provinces in Central China, including Henan, Shanxi, Hubei, Anhui, Hunan and Jiangxi. In Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei, such newly-emerging industries as optoelectronic technology, energy conservation and environmental protection, the Internet of Things, and biomedicine are expected to pay increasingly higher salaries.

More than 60 percent of new recruits in both Beijing and Shanghai receive a monthly starting salary of more than 2,000 yuan(US$ 315), while the proportion for those in Harbin is less than 5 percent, the lowest in China. For second-tiered cities including Harbin, Hefei, Jinan, Shijiazhuang and Zhengzhou, the highest starting salary is capped at only 5,000 yuan (US$ 789).

As most businesses gradually shook off the shadow of financial crisis, there was a better job prospect for college graduates in 2010, with their expected salary and starting salary increased to a certain extent respectively, as compared to 2009.

Following are the top ten cities which offer the highest monthly starting salaries to new graduates:

   Chengdu, Sichuan 四川成都

 

Chengdu, Sichuan [www.cfci.org.cn]

Rank	City	Province	Monthly Starting Salary on Average (yuan)
10	Chengdu 成都	Sichuan 四川	1,850