The information shows that for people working in industries such as securities, banking, law services, ship transportation, aviation, pipe transportation, petrol and natural gas exploitation, their annual average salaries can exceed 100,000 yuan. Due to different economic types or different subordinating relations, the salary levels of people working in different departments in the same industry can vary greatly. In banking industry, for example, some people can get an annual salary as high as one million yuan, while other people can only make less than 40,000 yuan a year.
The Beijing Municipal Academy of Social Sciences recently carried out a door-to-door investigation trying to find out how people think about those top earners. The result shows that most people think IT managers, private entrepreneurs, Olympic champions and prize-winning scientists well deserve high salaries, while the high salaries made by senior managers in insurance industry and in state-owned enterprises are “reasonable but not fair.” Most people hold that the high salaries made by real estate developers, corrupt officials, public servants, and pop stars are neither just nor fair. 80% of the respondents think that Olympic champions and scientists who are winners of state-level awards are justified in earning a high salary.
The investigation also shows that most people do not feel it repellent that IT elites earn much more than ordinary people. On the contrary, many young people and students view these IT elites as their role models. In addition, many Beijingers have changed their views about private entrepreneurs. As to private entrepreneurs who develop their business through hard work, 70% of the Beijingers think that their hardwork should be paid off.
