BEIJING, Nov. 4 -- Chinese Academy of Social Sciences recently released standard monthly wage rates for white-collar workers in major Chinese cities in 2007.

    The wage rates in the cities are classified into seven levels, taking into consideration local living costs, transportation costs, urbanization and other affecting conditions.

    Hong Kong and Macao top the list. A Hong Kong salaried man can be called a white-collar worker only if his monthly wage is no less than 18,500 yuan, or about 2,600 U.S. dollars. The corresponding figure in Macao is 8,900 yuan, or 1,200 dollars.

    Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wenzhou and Beijing are in the second level, with standard monthly wage rates of 5,350 yuan, 5,280 yuan, 5,020 yuan and 5,000 yuan respectively.

    The third level includes Hangzhou (4,980 yuan), Guangzhou (4,750 yuan), Suzhou (4,300 yuan), Xiamen (4,100 yuan) and Qingdao (4,000 yuan).

    Nanjing, Fuzhou, Wuxi, Tianjin, Jinan and Dalian land in the fourth level. The rates in this level are between 3,000 and 4,000 yuan.

    Next are the ten cities of Zhengzhou, Kunming, Wuhan, Haikou, Changsha, Sanya, Chongqing, Shenyang, Urumqi and Xi'an (rates between 2,000 and 3,000 yuan), followed by Chengdu, Harbin, Hohhot, Guizhou, Changchun, Lanzhou, Yinchuan and Xining (each between 1,000 and 2,000 yuan).

    At the bottom of the list lies Lhasa. White collar workers there earn at least 900 yuan a month.

    For those who are working outside of their home city, the standard should be 1,800 yuan more than the above figures.     

    (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)