How Can Foreigners Get A Job In China?

If you are looking for a job in China, you are not alone. According to the Chinese government, at least 500,000 foreigners work in China, and that’s only counting those who have legal residence permits. And that number is likely a gross under-estimation.

For many expats, what makes China a desired job opportunity is the money. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a Chinese worker is $1,000 a month, making it one of the highest paid jobs in the world.

It is predicted that it will be on the top of the list in some years. What China did not foresee is that, even after the country was hit by the 2009 financial crisis, and the devaluation of the Chinese Yuan, the number of foreign workers is still growing.

There are unlimited number of job opportunities in China for foreigners, but there is only limited number of jobs for foreigners in China. The reason is that there are still no proper mechanisms in place to help foreigners find a job in China.

Foreign workers are divided into three categories in China. The ones who have a work permit and a residence permit, the others who have a work permit and no residence permit, and the ones without any permit.

Top Careers in China for Foreigners

English teacher

As I have mentioned above, there is unlimited number of job opportunities in China for foreigners, but there is only limited number of jobs for foreigners in China. The reason is that there are still no proper mechanisms in place to help foreigners find a job in China.

IT

China started to export Chinese technology in the early 2000s. Since then, there has been a growing trend in China to export Chinese technology. But the truth is that, they are not good at technology at all.

Translator

Even though Chinese people study English, they are not good at speaking English. So, when they translate things from English to Chinese, they often make mistakes.

Sales Manager

A lot of Manufacturing and trading companies that used to be in China, especially the ones that are international, want to have their own salespeople to sell their products to other countries.

Foreign sales managers representing the international companies that want to work in China are required to have a work permit. But when it comes to finding a job, there is no assistance given to them.

Engineer

There are millions of new engineers graduate from Chinese universities every year. And a lot of them are foreigners. But there are only few of them who can work in China. Good computer and mechanical engineers are not needed in China, so the number of job opportunities are limited.

Accountant

There are plenty of accountants in China; but most of them are from China. It is not easy for foreigners to get a job in China as an accountant. A foreign account who knows the Chinese language can have a better chance, but not a lot of them can speak Chinese.