Hong Kong's pay divide widens as employee salaries stall and managers see third year of growth

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Nearly one in five respondents named the Hong Kong Government as their most desirable employer, reflecting a growing preference for stability amidst uncertainty.

Hong Kong employees saw their median monthly salary remain unchanged at HK$23,000 in 2026, while management-level professionals recorded a third consecutive year of pay growth, with median earnings reaching HK$40,000, according to the latest survey by CTgoodjobs.

The findings showed a widening pay gap between employees and managers. While the median salary for employees remained flat compared with 2025, median management pay increased from HK$35,000 in 2024 and HK$38,000 in 2025, marking a growth for three years in a row.

Top-paying sectors

Employees:

• Information and communications technology: HK$30,000
• Financial and insurance services: HK$28,510
• Construction, engineering, and real estate: HK$24,320

Management-level:

• Construction, engineering, and real estate: HK$45,675
• Healthcare services: HK$45,500
• Financial and insurance services: HK$45,000

At the other end of the spectrum, the catering, tourism, and hospitality sector recorded the lowest median salary for employees at HK$18,475, while manufacturing, import-export trade, wholesale, and retail recorded the lowest median management salary at HK$32,000.

The survey also highlighted limited upward mobility in the workplace. In 2025, a majority (93%) of respondents did not receive a promotion, while promotion rates stood at just 5.8% for employees and 11.1% for managers.

Earnings peak in mid-career

The study indicated that earnings generally peak during mid-career.

Median monthly salary by age group:

• Aged 21 to 25: HK$20,220
• Aged 41 to 45 and 46 to 50: HK$30,000
• Aged 51 to 55: HK$23,000
• Aged 61 or above: HK$20,000

Workers prioritise stability amidst uncertainty

The survey also suggested that Hong Kong employees lack confidence in the outlook for their industries.

Respondents gave an average confidence score of 2.7 out of five when asked about their industry’s prospects over the next two years, reflecting generally cautious sentiment.

Sectors with the highest confidence scores:

• Financial and insurance services (2.83)
• Education, government, and non-profit organisations (2.79)
• Catering, tourism, and hospitality (2.75)

Against this backdrop, willingness to switch jobs has declined significantly. Less than half (49.4%) of respondents said they planned to change jobs in 2026, down 12.1% from 61.5% in 2025.

Among those considering a move, 29.6% identified education, government, and non-profit sector as their preferred destination, well ahead of professional, scientific, administrative, and support services (12%) and financial and insurance services (9.8%).

Despite the growing focus on stability, compensation remains the primary reason for changing jobs. Nearly half of respondents (48.8%) cited salary and benefits as the key driver, followed by personal growth and long-term career development (18%) and workplace culture (13.8%).

When asked which organisations they would most like to work for, respondents continued to place the Hong Kong Government at the top of the list.

Most desirable employers:

• Hong Kong Government (19.9%)
• MTR Corporation (3.1%)
• Hospital Authority (2.5%)
• HSBC Hong Kong (2.3%)
• Google (1.7%)

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