Long-term trend · Updated 18 September 2026 · 9 min read
Ten-Year Employee Compensation Growth by Industry
The ten-year comparison includes only companies with values in both 2015 and 2025. It measures how the median changed within the same-company sample for each industry.
Quick answer
3,940 companies enter the ten-year comparison. Diversified Financials had the highest median compound annual growth at +11.0%.
Matched companies
3,940
Values in 2015 and 2025
Industries
56
Source classifications
Period
2015–2025
Ten-year CAGR
What affects a ten-year comparison
Over a decade, companies can change business mix, acquire operations, alter workforce composition and revise reporting practices. CAGR summarizes the pace of change but does not explain its cause.
Employee compensation growth by industry, 2015 to 2025
| Rank | Industry | Companies | 2015 | 2025 | Total change | CAGR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diversified Financials | 23 | CN¥170,223 | CN¥484,256 | +184.5% | +11.0% |
| 2 | Internet Services | 75 | CN¥115,478 | CN¥288,686 | +150.0% | +9.6% |
| 3 | Aviation | 32 | CN¥100,980 | CN¥241,194 | +138.9% | +9.1% |
| 4 | Electric Utilities | 78 | CN¥146,238 | CN¥314,235 | +114.9% | +7.9% |
| 5 | Construction Machinery | 24 | CN¥106,215 | CN¥223,451 | +110.4% | +7.7% |
| 6 | Telecom Operators | 3 | CN¥170,062 | CN¥353,154 | +107.7% | +7.6% |
| 7 | Coal | 31 | CN¥90,588 | CN¥186,749 | +106.2% | +7.5% |
| 8 | Paper | 26 | CN¥70,965 | CN¥143,563 | +102.3% | +7.3% |
| 9 | Education, Culture & Leisure | 40 | CN¥87,718 | CN¥176,346 | +101.0% | +7.2% |
| 10 | Electrical Instruments | 57 | CN¥101,137 | CN¥201,883 | +99.6% | +7.2% |
| 11 | Transportation Equipment | 32 | CN¥93,373 | CN¥184,628 | +97.7% | +7.1% |
| 12 | Nonferrous Metals | 113 | CN¥83,671 | CN¥164,955 | +97.1% | +7.0% |
| 13 | Shipbuilding | 11 | CN¥111,744 | CN¥219,227 | +96.2% | +7.0% |
| 14 | Electrical Equipment | 226 | CN¥86,505 | CN¥168,683 | +95.0% | +6.9% |
| 15 | Oil & Gas | 37 | CN¥115,190 | CN¥224,371 | +94.8% | +6.9% |
| 16 | Building Materials | 64 | CN¥83,029 | CN¥161,555 | +94.6% | +6.9% |
| 17 | Semiconductors | 77 | CN¥112,162 | CN¥217,274 | +93.7% | +6.8% |
| 18 | Health Care Services | 106 | CN¥96,684 | CN¥186,871 | +93.3% | +6.8% |
| 19 | Public Transportation | 7 | CN¥58,641 | CN¥112,912 | +92.5% | +6.8% |
| 20 | Advertising & Packaging | 47 | CN¥85,019 | CN¥163,691 | +92.5% | +6.8% |
| 21 | Industrial Machinery | 202 | CN¥94,043 | CN¥181,033 | +92.5% | +6.8% |
| 22 | Hotels & Restaurants | 9 | CN¥73,187 | CN¥140,744 | +92.3% | +6.8% |
| 23 | Steel | 51 | CN¥87,921 | CN¥168,904 | +92.1% | +6.7% |
| 24 | Insurance | 5 | CN¥168,826 | CN¥323,930 | +91.9% | +6.7% |
| 25 | Conglomerates | 19 | CN¥93,700 | CN¥179,076 | +91.1% | +6.7% |
| 26 | Pharmaceuticals | 209 | CN¥84,124 | CN¥160,712 | +91.0% | +6.7% |
| 27 | General Machinery | 88 | CN¥80,800 | CN¥153,944 | +90.5% | +6.7% |
| 28 | Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock & Fisheries | 81 | CN¥75,999 | CN¥144,643 | +90.3% | +6.6% |
| 29 | Food & Beverages | 89 | CN¥73,753 | CN¥139,184 | +88.7% | +6.6% |
| 30 | Electronic Components | 179 | CN¥79,259 | CN¥149,507 | +88.6% | +6.6% |
| 31 | Mineral Products | 22 | CN¥71,419 | CN¥134,633 | +88.5% | +6.5% |
| 32 | IT Hardware | 56 | CN¥114,918 | CN¥215,346 | +87.4% | +6.5% |
| 33 | Media & Entertainment | 56 | CN¥121,393 | CN¥227,148 | +87.1% | +6.5% |
| 34 | Communications Equipment | 102 | CN¥102,675 | CN¥190,160 | +85.2% | +6.4% |
| 35 | Gas & Heating Utilities | 34 | CN¥98,376 | CN¥181,309 | +84.3% | +6.3% |
| 36 | Transportation Services | 31 | CN¥189,662 | CN¥347,422 | +83.2% | +6.2% |
| 37 | Chemical Fibers | 24 | CN¥76,646 | CN¥138,902 | +81.2% | +6.1% |
| 38 | Household Products | 45 | CN¥78,646 | CN¥142,409 | +81.1% | +6.1% |
| 39 | Home Appliances | 67 | CN¥79,183 | CN¥142,960 | +80.5% | +6.1% |
| 40 | Automobiles | 210 | CN¥84,063 | CN¥151,084 | +79.7% | +6.0% |
| 41 | Chemicals | 315 | CN¥84,804 | CN¥152,325 | +79.6% | +6.0% |
| 42 | Alcoholic Beverages | 35 | CN¥93,937 | CN¥167,843 | +78.7% | +6.0% |
| 43 | Environmental Services | 88 | CN¥97,635 | CN¥173,481 | +77.7% | +5.9% |
| 44 | Retail Chains | 95 | CN¥85,828 | CN¥149,839 | +74.6% | +5.7% |
| 45 | Transportation Infrastructure | 39 | CN¥135,815 | CN¥236,476 | +74.1% | +5.7% |
| 46 | Textiles & Apparel | 83 | CN¥71,403 | CN¥123,274 | +72.6% | +5.6% |
| 47 | Software & IT Services | 200 | CN¥126,168 | CN¥217,682 | +72.5% | +5.6% |
| 48 | Construction | 117 | CN¥137,431 | CN¥235,486 | +71.3% | +5.5% |
| 49 | Tourism | 25 | CN¥93,076 | CN¥150,628 | +61.8% | +4.9% |
| 50 | Trading & Distribution | 14 | CN¥143,440 | CN¥226,145 | +57.7% | +4.7% |
| 51 | Warehousing & Logistics | 37 | CN¥112,377 | CN¥173,160 | +54.1% | +4.4% |
| 52 | Water Utilities | 13 | CN¥122,214 | CN¥184,552 | +51.0% | +4.2% |
| 53 | Personal & Household Chemicals | 10 | CN¥95,315 | CN¥138,708 | +45.5% | +3.8% |
| 54 | Real Estate | 93 | CN¥161,457 | CN¥229,625 | +42.2% | +3.6% |
| 55 | Banks | 40 | CN¥351,801 | CN¥437,561 | +24.4% | +2.2% |
| 56 | Securities | 48 | CN¥614,754 | CN¥533,722 | -13.2% | -1.4% |
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.