Forestown International Executive Search: 2026 Compensation Report for the Finance, Banking, and Securities Industries

Key Data Overview: By 2026, China’s financial, banking, and securities industries will exhibit a salary landscape characterized by leader-follower dynamics, tiered differentiation, a technology premium, and strong performance alignment. The industry-wide average pre-tax annual salary is approximately RMB 292,000, representing a year-on-year increase of 4.3%. Specifically, the securities sector offers an average compensation of RMB 530,000–560,000 per employee, while the banking sector averages RMB 220,000–360,000. Among core business areas—investment banking, financial technology, quantitative analysis, and wealth management—salary growth ranges from 6% to 8%, whereas traditional counter-service and basic customer-service roles see increases of only 1% to 2%. The salary gap between leading firms and smaller-to-medium-sized institutions spans 2 to 4 times, with master’s degree holders earning 30% to 50% more than bachelor’s degree holders, and salaries in first-tier cities being 35% to 50% higher than in second- and third-tier cities.

Forestown International Executive Search: 2026 Compensation Report for the Finance, Banking, and Securities Industries

I. Banking Industry Salaries (National Average)

1. Entry-Level Operations and Foundation Roles (0–2 years)

Bank tellers and lobby managers: monthly salary of RMB 6,000–10,000, annual salary of RMB 70,000–120,000; state-owned major banks: RMB 6,000–8,500; joint-stock banks: RMB 7,500–11,000.

Customer Relationship Manager (Retail/Corporate): Base salary of RMB 5,500–9,000; total monthly compensation of RMB 9,000–18,000; annual salary of RMB 110,000–220,000; commission share of 40%–60%.

Operations Assistant and Risk Control Specialist: Monthly salary of RMB 6,500–11,000; annual salary of RMB 80,000–130,000, with a 20% increase in first-tier cities.

2. Mid-level Professional and Management Positions (3–5 years)

Branch Deputy Manager and Department Manager: Monthly salary of RMB 15,000–25,000; annual salary of RMB 180,000–300,000, including performance-based and team bonuses.

Fintech Development and Big Data Analyst: Monthly salary of RMB 18,000–30,000, annual salary of RMB 220,000–360,000, with a 30% premium for AI algorithm roles.

Investment Banking Division (Debt Underwriting/Structured Finance): Monthly salary of RMB 18,000–28,000; annual salary of RMB 220,000–340,000; top-tier joint-stock banks offer RMB 300,000–500,000.

Credit Approval and Compliance Manager: Monthly salary of RMB 14,000–22,000, annual salary of RMB 170,000–260,000; holding FRM or CFA certification commands a 25% salary premium.

3. Senior Management and Expert Positions (5–10+ years of experience)

Branch Presidents and Head Department Directors at the Head Office: annual salary of RMB 400,000–800,000; for top-tier joint-stock banks, RMB 700,000–1.2 million, including stock options and profit-sharing.

Head of Fintech and Blockchain Expert: Annual salary of RMB 500,000–1 million; Core Architect: RMB 1 million–1.5 million

Head Office Chief Risk Officer and Chief Compliance Officer: annual salary of RMB 600,000–1.1 million; for listed banks, RMB 900,000–1.6 million.

II. Compensation in the Securities Industry (National Average)

1. Entry-Level Business and Operations Position (0–2 years)

Securities brokers and client managers: base salary of RMB 5,000–8,000; total monthly compensation of RMB 8,000–15,000; annual salary of RMB 100,000–180,000, with commissions as the primary income.

Investment banking analysts and associates (top-tier firms): monthly salary of RMB 22,000–26,000, annual salary of RMB 350,000–450,000; mid-tier securities firms: RMB 220,000–300,000.

Industry Researcher (Assistant): Monthly salary of RMB 15,000–22,000; annual salary of RMB 180,000–260,000, with a 40% premium for the New Fortune team.

Operations, Clearing, and Customer Service Positions: Monthly salary of RMB 6,500–10,000; annual salary of RMB 80,000–120,000; high job stability.

2. Mid-Level Core and Management Positions (3–5 years)

Investment Banking Manager, VP: Monthly salary of RMB 25,000–40,000; annual salary of RMB 300,000–500,000; top-tier securities firms offer RMB 500,000–800,000.

Senior industry researcher and investment manager: monthly salary of RMB 30,000–50,000; annual salary of RMB 360,000–600,000; for those listed on the New Fortune Top 100, RMB 600,000–900,000.

Quantitative Analyst/Algorithmic Trading Position: Monthly salary of RMB 35,000–60,000; annual salary of RMB 420,000–720,000; with a 50% premium for high-frequency trading strategies.

Branch General Manager and Business Director: Annual salary of RMB 250,000–450,000; in top-tier regions, RMB 400,000–700,000.

3. Senior Expert and Executive Positions (5–10+ years of experience)

Investment Banking Director/Executive Director: Annual salary of RMB 800,000–1.5 million; top-tier securities firms offer RMB 1.2–2.2 million, with generous project-based commissions.

Chief Analyst and Research Director: annual salary of RMB 700,000–1.4 million; New Fortune’s Chief Analyst: RMB 1.5–2.5 million

Quantitative Director and Investment Director: Annual salary of RMB 900,000–1.8 million; for top-tier teams, RMB 1.8–3 million.

Vice President and CEO of a securities firm: annual salary of RMB 1.5–3.5 million; for listed securities firms, RMB 2.5–5 million, including equity incentives.

III. Salary Tiers by City (2026)

1. Tier 1 (Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou)

Average annual salary in finance: RMB 380,000–500,000; core banking roles: RMB 300,000–500,000; core securities roles: RMB 500,000–900,000; investment banking/research roles: RMB 800,000–1.5 million.

Shanghai and Shenzhen lead in salary levels, 50%–70% higher than those in third-tier cities, with foreign- and joint-venture firms commanding a 20% premium.

2. Second-tier cities (Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu, Wuhan, Suzhou)

Average annual salary: RMB 220,000–300,000; core positions: RMB 250,000–400,000—20%–30% lower than in first-tier cities.

Regional securities firms and city commercial bank headquarters are heavily concentrated, with nearly 80% of fintech positions located on the front line.

3. The Third Tier (Chongqing, Xi’an, Zhengzhou, Qingdao, Jinan)

Average annual salary: RMB 150,000–200,000; core positions: RMB 180,000–280,000; entry-level positions: 35%–45% lower than front-line roles.

Primarily composed of city commercial banks, local securities firms, and branch networks, with strong stability and moderate growth.

IV. Starting Salary Standards for Fresh Graduates (Class of 2026)

1. Master’s degree

Bank headquarters management trainee and fintech roles: annual salary of RMB 150,000–250,000; RMB 180,000–300,000 in first-tier cities.

Securities Investment Banking/Research/Quantitative: Top-tier firms—RMB 300,000–450,000; mid-tier firms—RMB 200,000–300,000; entry-level positions—RMB 120,000–180,000.

Fund and asset management positions: RMB 250,000–400,000; core investment research: RMB 400,000–600,000.

2. Bachelor’s degree

Entry-level, generalist positions at banks: annual salary of RMB 70,000–120,000; state-owned major banks: RMB 60,000–100,000; joint-stock banks: RMB 90,000–140,000.

Securities Brokerage and Operations Positions: Annual Salary of RMB 90,000–150,000; Top Firms Offer RMB 120,000–180,000

Fintech Development Position: RMB 150,000–220,000; RMB 180,000–250,000 in first-tier cities.

3. Doctorate

Financial research, quantitative analysis, and AI in finance: annual salary of RMB 400,000–700,000; top-tier firms offer RMB 600,000–1,000,000, including equity incentives.

V. Compensation Structure and Trends

In 2026, compensation in the financial industry will primarily consist of base salary, performance bonuses, year-end bonuses, and stock options. For banks, the base salary will account for 60%–70% of total compensation, while for securities firms it will range from 50% to 70%. Investment banking, quantitative analysis, financial technology, and wealth management are the core areas driving salary growth, whereas traditional back-office functions and brokerage operations are seeing sluggish pay increases. Under stricter regulatory oversight, year-end bonuses are increasingly being deferred, and long-term incentive programs are becoming more widespread, intensifying talent competition among leading institutions and making it harder for mid-sized and smaller firms to retain top talent.

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If you require talent profiles for specialized roles in finance, banking, and securities; customized compensation packages; executive search services for mid-to-senior-level investment banking managers, industry analysts, quantitative analysts, fintech experts, and risk management directors; precise matching for hard-to-fill positions such as chief analysts, investment banking directors, heads of quantitative strategy, and heads of banking technology; or salary negotiation benchmarks, please connect with our dedicated executive search team. With years of deep expertise in the financial, banking, and securities sectors, we maintain an extensive network of high-caliber mid-to-senior talent from leading state-owned banks, joint-stock banks, top-tier securities firms, asset management companies, and fintech firms. We have a thorough understanding of industry compensation trends and the core requirements of each role, enabling us to help organizations efficiently build their core teams in investment banking, research, quantitative analysis, fintech, and wealth management—while reducing recruitment costs and securing a competitive edge in attracting top-tier talent in the financial industry.

Data are comprehensively sourced from:

1. Liepin’s Q1 2026 Salary Database for the Financial Industry (based on a sample of over 400,000 mid-to-high-end professionals)

2. Michael Page’s “2026 Compensation Report for the Financial Industry in Mainland China”

3. China Securities Association’s “2026 Securities Industry Compensation Survey White Paper”

4. China Banking Association, “2026 National Commercial Bank Compensation Level Statistics”

5. BOSS Zhipin’s “2026 Insights into Salaries for Finance, Banking, and Securities Positions” (JDs for 800,000+ positions)

6. Korn Ferry’s “2026 Compensation Guide for the Financial and Capital Markets Industry”