(Yicai) June 16 -- College graduates in China have seen their average monthly income jump by around 53 percent over the past 10 years, with those having technology and engineering-related degrees earning the most, according to a new report.

The mean monthly salary of workers who graduated last year was CNY6,199 (USD850) six months after graduation, compared with CNY4,042 (USD555) in 2015, according to the latest annual report on employment among Chinese college graduates published by MyCOS Research.

Those who majored in information security have the highest average monthly salary of CNY7,599 (USD1,040), followed by those in microelectronics science and engineering at CNY7,282 and in electronic science and technology at CNY7,215. Graduates from the top 10 best-paying majors in 2024 all enjoyed incomes in excess of CNY7,000 a month.

Salaries are closely tied to market scarcity, barriers to entry, and industry development prospects, according to analysts at MyCOS. Talent shortages, high professional thresholds, promising industry outlooks, and other factors drive companies to offer higher compensation packages, they said.

Software engineering and information security majors have consistently ranked in the top 10 by starting salary for graduates over the past decade, with information security ranking No. 1 every year. Electronic science and technology was on the list nine times, while network, Internet of Things, and information engineering majors each appeared eight times.

Twenty-four majors have made the top 10 list by pay in the past 10 years, with eight appearing five or more times. Computer science was on it seven times, and microelectronics science and engineering five times. French was the only foreign language major to crack the list, appearing four times, though the last time was in 2018.

MyCOS pointed out that graduates in fields closely aligned with China’s tech innovation and industrial upgrade plans earn the highest salaries. It advises future students to weigh all relevant factors and to stay informed about cutting‑edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence chips and sixth-generation communication technology, and regional industrial layouts when choosing a high‑paying major.

In addition, China has accelerated the pace of professional program optimization and adjustment in recent years. Chinese universities added 1,839 new programs while discontinuing recruitment for 2,220 and eliminating 1,428 courses, the Ministry of Education announced in April.

MyCOS' latest survey, completed in early March, covered 474 undergraduate majors involving 171,000 students and 566 vocational majors with 188,000 students.

Editor: Martin Kadiev