Shanghai salaries sit ~30% below the China average
Shanghai, CN lists 75 careers with observed metro percentiles in CNY. Pay index 0.70 (30% below national); COL 100 vs a US baseline of 100.
Radiologist leads this Shanghai table at ¥1,270,000 a year, with Surgeon at ¥1,260,000 and Psychiatrist at ¥1,210,000. The midpoint of the listed set is Biomedical Engineer at ¥450,000 — a better “typical covered career here” than row #1 alone. Top-of-list mix: 5 healthcare, 3 technology, and 1 legal.
Population in the dataset is about 24,874,500. Larger labour markets usually support wider industry mix; smaller ones can look “high paying” on one clinical or tech title and thin everywhere else. Licensing and immigration rules are independent of this cash sort.
China shows about 0.1% CPI in 2025. Open a role’s Shanghai salary page for p10–p90, take-home, and rent models — this hub is the directory. Missing careers may still have a national China page even when this metro lacks observed percentiles.
Reading pay and COL together in Shanghai
Use pay index (0.70) for wage level vs China, and COL (100) for prices. High on both is not the same as high real leftover.
Figures are observed metro medians where listed, in CNY, gross. They are market estimates — not a promise from any one employer.
What tops the Shanghai cash list
Radiologist: Radiologists interpret medical images to diagnose and guide treatment of disease. Observed median here: ¥1,270,000. That lead reflects how this metro prices the occupation, not a recommendation to retrain tomorrow.