(Yicai) April 23 -- China’s embodied artificial intelligence sector is in a fierce talent war, with some companies failing to attract qualified candidates even after offering remuneration of CNY1 million (USD138,000) a year.

Job listings show that the monthly salary on offer for an entry-level algorithm engineer working in embodied intelligence has reached around CNY30,000 (USD4,140). For expert-level engineers it has reached around CNY50,000, and for world-model engineers about CNY60,000. Other in-demand roles include motion-control algorithm engineers and embedded software engineers, and most technical positions require at least a master’s degree.

Most job seekers entering the embodied intelligence industry come from major internet companies, smart-driving firms, and smart manufacturers, and employers place particular weight on candidates’ prior work experience, headhunters and technical professionals told Yicai.

One recruiter working on behalf of robotics firms said senior engineers in embodied intelligence can generally earn about CNY1 million a year, while business-line leaders can earn even more through salaries, signing bonuses, relocation allowances, stock options, and other incentives.

Ubtech Robotics, the world's first humanoid robot maker to go public, launched a global search for a new chief scientist focused on humanoid robots and embodied intelligence at the start of this month, offering an annual salary of between CNY15 million and CNY124 million (USD2.2 million and USD18 million).

Last year, Volcano Engine, the cloud unit of TikTok owner ByteDance, began recruiting for a senior expert in algorithm manipulation with a clear focus on embodied robotics research and development, offering from CNY95,000 to CNY120,000 (USD13,110 to USD16,560) a month.

An algorithm engineer who recently changed jobs told Yicai that before making the switch, he received invitations from three headhunting firms, and noted that startups often offer more generous compensation packages than industry giants because competition for embodied-intelligence talent is so intense.

“Since the industry is still at an early stage of development, candidates with just one to three years of algorithm experience are already highly sought after,” the person pointed out, adding that there is a supply-and-demand mismatch in the jobs market for embodied intelligence talent.

“Companies are struggling to hire even when they offer high salaries, because they cannot find interdisciplinary talent that understands both algorithms and real physical robots,” he said. “Job seekers are also frustrated, because it’s not easy to enter the field without enough project experience.”

To address the shortage of technical talent, several businesses have partnered with universities to nurture professionals. Beihang University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and other top schools have launched undergraduate majors in embodied intelligence.

Embodied intelligence requires substantial computing power, but many universities lack the training resources, the algorithm engineer noted. The sector’s talent shortage is likely to persist in the near term until university-industry cooperation and academic training programs begin to produce results, he added.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev