Practicalities

Income Levels

If you’re looking for a place where you and your family can experience a good lifestyle and enjoy a high disposable income under low tax rates, Hong Kong certainly delivers. The city has some of the highest-paid executives in Asia. According to US data company PayScale, finance managers can expect an annual salary of HK$552,945 (US$71,132), project managers are paid around HK$534,444 (US$68,752), and software engineers receive approximately HK$322,486 (US$41,485).

Many expatriates will find themselves working at multinational companies with access to a raft of benefits including private healthcare and pensions, while the Government provides retirement protection through its Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) scheme. Employees are required to contribute five per cent of their monthly income and the employer has to match this amount.

Staff who stay with their company are rewarded well for their loyalty: those in top management positions can expect an annual average salary increase rate of around 15-20 percent according to Salary Explorer, while junior and senior staff usually receive around three to five percent and 10 to 15 percent respectively.

According to market research firm ECA International’s Salary Trends Report Survey 2022/2023, workers in Hong Kong are expected to receive a salary increase of four per cent in 2023. The same survey also found that workers in Hong Kong have also benefited from low inflation compared to their Asia-Pacific and global counterparts. Even though inflation is expected to rise next year, buying power will rise faster than many locations globally, it added.