Industry change · Updated 18 September 2026 · 7 min read
Industries Where Employee Compensation Fell in 2025
Industry declines are measured on a matched-company basis between 2024 and 2025. This reduces the distortion that would arise if the set of companies changed between the two years.
Quick answer
12 industries recorded a lower median among comparable companies. The largest decline was -16.1% in Hotels & Restaurants.
Industries declining
12
Median year over year
Industries analysed
56
Source classifications
Comparison
Matched sample
Values in both years
Industry medians and individual pay
A lower industry median does not mean that every company or employee in that industry received less pay. Company-level directions and workforce composition can differ.
Industries with a lower median in 2025
| Industry | Matched companies | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels & Restaurants | 9 | CN¥167,700 | CN¥140,744 | -16.1% |
| Oil & Gas | 38 | CN¥250,150 | CN¥229,385 | -8.3% |
| Personal & Household Chemicals | 18 | CN¥155,970 | CN¥147,394 | -5.5% |
| Coal | 32 | CN¥200,369 | CN¥190,602 | -4.9% |
| Transportation Equipment | 47 | CN¥190,944 | CN¥183,648 | -3.8% |
| IT Hardware | 74 | CN¥220,171 | CN¥215,346 | -2.2% |
| Software & IT Services | 261 | CN¥231,611 | CN¥228,781 | -1.2% |
| Trading & Distribution | 16 | CN¥228,611 | CN¥226,145 | -1.1% |
| Aviation | 51 | CN¥225,616 | CN¥223,726 | -0.8% |
| Health Care Services | 172 | CN¥196,462 | CN¥195,121 | -0.7% |
| Transportation Infrastructure | 40 | CN¥238,524 | CN¥237,059 | -0.6% |
| Warehousing & Logistics | 46 | CN¥171,882 | CN¥170,919 | -0.6% |
Methodology and limitations
- Average compensation is derived from company-reported employee and compensation figures. It is not the salary received by every employee and does not describe individual pay.
- We use the median to reduce the effect of unusually large observations and show the mean as a separate comparison.
- Missing values are excluded. Year-to-year comparisons include only companies with data in both periods.
- This article is factual data analysis. It is not investment advice, a stock recommendation, or an asset-management service.