(Yicai Global) Jan. 12 -- The transition toward technology-driven growth in the internet industry is creating high demand for artificial intelligence professionals in China. Hot AI jobs now are much better paid than average internet company employees.

The demand for internet professionals in China jumped by 58.3 percent last year, far outstripping the growth rate recorded in the previous year. The need for these professionals has remained at a high level driven by a sharp increase in the number of tech startups.

Technical professionals made up 25.1 percent of the total demand for human resources in 2017, an increase of 2.7 percentage points from the year earlier. The percentage has been on an upward trend over the past two years, according to the "white paper on internet human resource trends" published by Boss Zhipin, a mobile internet recruitment platform affiliated to Beijing Huaye Cornerstone Network Technology Co., on Jan. 10.

AI is the fastest-growing profession by hiring demand. With a large number of firms branching out into artificial intelligence, the demand for AI professionals has more than doubled last year, with a 5.3-fold increase compared with 2015. Most AI jobs saw compound growth of more than 200 percent over the past three years.

Salary data reveal a similar trend. The average salary in the China's internet industry was USD1,635 (CNY10,600) last year, while AI professionals with the most sought-after skills earned more than CNY25,000 per month on average. On the other hand, salaries for sales and marketing staff have declined.

With a breakdown of internet companies by funding round, the average salary offered by startups funded by angel investors is CNY9,063, the lowest of all categories. Salaries offered by companies, including publicly-traded companies, which have developed beyond the series-D stage average CNY13,900 a month.

First-tier cities posted the largest wage increases. Beijing is an economic center and a hub for internet startups. The average monthly income of internet professionals in the capital city has reached CNY13,300, followed by Shanghai (CNY11,700) and Shenzhen (CNY11,000). Salaries in more than 70 percent of second-tier cities fall in the range of CNY7,000-8,000.