"Why Work a White-Collar Job? This Chinese Occupation Now Earns Over 5 Million Won a Month"

Blue-collar income growth outpaces white-collar for seven years
Some skilled postpartum caregivers earn more than 5 million won per month

In China, blue-collar workers, especially those engaged in the platform and service industries such as delivery workers and postpartum caregivers, are seeing steady increases in income. Some skilled postpartum caregivers are reportedly earning over 5 million won per month.

According to the Southern Metropolis Daily and other Chinese media outlets, the China New Employment Forms Research Center estimated in its "2025 China Blue-Collar Group Employment Research Report" that there were approximately 427 million blue-collar workers in China last year.

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The report states that last year, income growth for blue-collar workers surpassed that of white-collar workers for the seventh consecutive year. The average monthly wage gap between the two groups shrank by 32.7%, from 3,344 yuan (about 670,000 won) in 2013 to 2,250 yuan (about 450,000 won) last year. If the current trend continues, the gap is expected to narrow to 2,020 yuan (about 410,000 won) by 2027.

Average Monthly Income of Postpartum Caregivers Reaches the 2 Million Won Range... Skilled Workers Exceed 5 Million Won

By occupation, postpartum caregivers earned the highest average monthly income at 10,128 yuan (2.04 million won), followed by delivery workers at 8,325 yuan (about 1.68 million won), and truck drivers at 8,279 yuan (about 1.67 million won). In particular, delivery workers' incomes have increased by more than 10% annually on average over the past three years.

In terms of hourly wages, postpartum caregivers ranked highest at 38.5 yuan (about 7,800 won), followed by delivery workers at 37.3 yuan (about 7,500 won). The hourly wage for delivery workers, up 11% from the previous year, significantly exceeded that of restaurant part-timers at 24.7 yuan (about 5,000 won) and construction workers at 23.4 yuan (about 4,700 won).

The report also analyzed that the blue-collar wage structure is shifting from a system where working longer simply results in more income, to one where compensation is determined by skill and service quality. As platforms differentiate unit prices and order assignments based on star ratings and service evaluations, workers with higher ratings receive more high-income jobs.

For example, some skilled postpartum caregivers earned more than 25,000 yuan (about 5.04 million won) per month, and skilled delivery workers earned at least 12,000 yuan (about 2.42 million won) per month. Analysts attribute rising incomes partly to intensified competition among delivery platforms last year, which led companies to actively recruit more delivery workers.

By region, platform-based blue-collar workers such as delivery and courier drivers, and ride-hailing drivers are showing an increasing tendency to work in areas close to their place of residence rather than relocating. Last year, the proportion of ride-hailing drivers working outside their home region fell by 6% from the previous year, and by 2.5% for courier drivers.

On the other hand, skilled technical workers such as new energy vehicle technicians, smart manufacturing specialists, and elderly caregivers are migrating between regions at higher rates. Smaller cities with relatively lower living costs and more flexible working hours are emerging as new blue-collar job markets.

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Flexible Employment Expands in China... Expected to Reach 320 Million This Year

Flexible employment is also expanding in China. According to recent research, the number of flexibly employed workers reached 280 million last year and is expected to rise to 320 million this year, surpassing 40% of total urban employment.

However, there are still limitations regarding social security and long-term career prospects. The basic medical insurance enrollment rate for flexibly employed workers was 91.5%, and work injury protection coverage stood at 86.2%. However, only 42.3% expressed confidence in their retirement preparations, and just 54.8% said they had opportunities for promotion.

Although platform workers have become key personnel for everyday urban services, in the field, mobility restrictions remain high. More than 68% of delivery and courier drivers reported being denied access to apartment complexes or office buildings.

The research team pointed out that, given the growing scale of platform workers, there is a need to improve not only short-term income and basic social security, but also job training, long-term career development, and working conditions within cities.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.