(Yicai Global) June 26 -- The average annual salary of skilled talent in Shanghai jumped 9.4 percent to CNY162,200 (USD22,600) last year from the year before, according to the latest official data.

Junior technicians enjoyed the biggest boost, as their wages soared 12.8 percent or CNY13,700 (USD1,910) in 2022, data from the Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau showed. For senior technicians, the gain was 10.8 percent or CNY23,200.

Skilled talent refers to corporate employees with professional know-how and ability working in the frontline of production and services.

In the past five years, the annual average salary of skilled talent in Shanghai has surged 34 percent, the figures showed.

The highest-paid 25 percent of skilled talent in the artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and integrated circuit sectors earned an average of CNY304,900 (USD42,470), CNY232,700, and CNY172,000, respectively, last year.

Older workers had bigger salary raises last year, the data showed. Skilled talent aged under 25 earned an average of CNY127,600, while those between 26 and 45 earned CNY214,600. Senior technicians aged over 46 saw their incomes jump to CNY271,600.

The age of skilled talents is not directly proportional to their salaries, as education, career, and training also matter, Jin Yulin, president of Shanghai Dazhong Technical School, told Yicai Global.

The rising incomes of highly skilled talent may encourage more workers to upgrade their skills, said Liu Hong, founder and chairwoman of human resources consultancy firm TopHR.

Editors: Shi Yi, Futura Costaglione