Suzhou Machining Operator Salary

Suzhou machining operator salary

When machining operators are looking for jobs, don't just focus on Shanghai and Shenzhen. Ningbo's monthly salary of 13.1K is really attractive. However, although there are many jobs in Suzhou, 1 out of every 10 machining jobs is found here. If you choose the right city and the right industry, the income gap can widen by 4,000 to 5,000 yuan.

There are many jobs in Suzhou but fierce competition, followed by Foshan and Shanghai.

Based on data presented by BOSS Direct Recruitment and 51job in January 2026, the recruitment demand ratio for machining operators in Suzhou is as high as 10.9%, and their distribution is mainly concentrated in manufacturing towns such as Kunshan and Wujiang. Sany Heavy Industry, Schaeffler and other companies have created more than 800 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2025, and many factories even provide conditions for including food and accommodation.

Foshan ranks second with a share of 6.9%. Machinery factories in Shunde and Nanhai suffer from personnel shortages all year round, especially the shortage of masters who can operate five-axis linkage machining centers. Although Shanghai only accounts for 5.9%, the joint ventures of Waigaoqiao and Lingang have relatively high requirements. Operators with a good English foundation are more preferred, and the success rate of internal referrals is 30% higher than that of online delivery.

Ningbo’s monthly salary of 13.1K leads the country, followed by Lishui and Hangzhou.

Liepin's 2025 annual salary report shows that the average monthly salary of Ningbo machining operators reaches 13.1K, and skilled workers in Beilun District mold factories can generally earn more than 14K. Some companies also have double salary at the end of the year. Lishui ranks second with 12.5K. The salary of Suzhou machining operators has been introduced. Three new companies have been introduced in the local development zone? Chen Parts Factory, new demand after the Spring Festival in 2026 increased by 45% year-on-year.

Hangzhou ranks third with a salary of 10.8K. In Binjiang and Xiaoshan, companies engaged in automation equipment-related work place more emphasis on job seekers with practical experience in operating Frank systems. Job seekers with a college degree and three years of work experience have the greatest room for salary negotiation. In contrast, although the Suzhou area provides a larger number of jobs, its average salary is only 9,200 yuan, which is the wage level in the machining industry . The average salary in Ningbo is 42% higher than that in Suzhou.

The machinery and heavy industry industry has the largest demand for raw material processing, followed by

The 2025 industry employment report released by Zhaopin Recruitment shows that machinery and other equipment and heavy industry industries accounted for 42.6% of machining jobs. In December 2025, the monthly recruitment volume exceeded 12,000. Xugong Group and Sany Heavy Energy plan to build new production lines in Xuzhou and Changsha in 2026. They are expected to recruit more than 300 workers per month starting in March.

Accounting for 31.7% is the raw material and processing industry, which is mainly concentrated in the fields of non-ferrous metal rolling and plastic products. Guangdong Jianmei Aluminum will open a new factory in early 2026. It needs two hundred experienced people who can operate the extrusion production line. All they need is a junior high school degree or above. Priority will be given to those under the age of forty-five.

The demand for electronic semiconductors is growing rapidly and requires high precision processing.

The electronic technology, semiconductor, and integrated circuit industries accounted for 10.9%, but the year-on-year growth rate reached 18%. It is the fastest growing among all industries. SMIC and Hua Hong Semiconductor will expand production in Shaoxing and Wuxi in 2025, and will recruit a large number of operators who can process semiconductor equipment parts. The machining industry salary level requires them to be able to understand three-dimensional views, and the dimensional tolerance must be controlled within 0.005 mm.

Such companies that require operators with a theoretical foundation directly set the starting salary above 10K for candidates who can use a three-dimensional coordinate measuring machine. Personnel personnel at a packaging and testing factory in Suzhou Industrial Park revealed that they plan to recruit 50 machining operators in 2026, but so far they have only received 20 qualified resumes.

The transportation and logistics industry provides the most money, followed by auto parts automation.

Salary data shows this situation. The transportation/logistics industry is in the top position with an average monthly salary of 12.5K. This salary mainly comes from equipment maintenance positions in large logistics companies. SF Express will start recruiting machining operators at the Ezhou hub in 2025. The job is responsible for repairing parts on the automatic sorting line. Applicants for this job need to have experience with ordinary lathes and milling machines. Those who hold a welder certificate will receive an additional 800 yuan monthly allowance.

The average salary in the instrumentation and industrial automation industry is 8.9K, ranking second among all industries. The average salary in the machining industry of the auto parts industry is 8.7K, ranking third. Ningbo Joyson Electronics offers monthly salaries to master craftsmen who have worked for more than five years, mostly in the range of 13K to 15K. However, they need to accept a two-shift working mode, and the night shift subsidy is calculated separately.

Urban jobs and salaries are not equal. Career selection requires long-term development.

Suzhou, which has many jobs, has no advantage in salary. Ningbo, which has high salary, has a cost of living about 15% lower than Suzhou. This comparison is worthy of in-depth consideration. In 2025, data from the Suzhou Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau shows that the monthly rent for a single room in the industrial park has risen to 1,800 yuan, but similar housing in Beilun District, Ningbo only costs 1,300 yuan.

In addition, although the transportation and logistics field has relatively generous salaries, the number of positions is far less than that of the machinery and heavy industry. In January 2026, only more than 400 related positions were announced across the country. I would like to suggest that job seekers open the recruitment software, compare the conditions of more than three cities, use the map to check the supporting facilities around the factory area, and ask questions such as night shift frequency, overtime base and provident fund ratio before making a decision.

Have you ever suffered losses by choosing the wrong city and industry? Colleagues who are engaged in machining, please talk about your monthly salary and city in the comment area to provide some practical reference for those who are preparing to enter this industry. Like it and forward it so that more people can see this data.