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An engineer conducts an inspection in a data center in Urumqi, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on February 13, 2025. Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) firm DeepSeek has launched operations in the city, which provides robust computing power infrastructure to support DeepSeek’s AI large model. Photo: VCG
China’s demand for talent in artificial intelligence (AI)-related sectors is surging this year, according to data from a job-search platform. Industry observers noted that the nation’s advancement in AI-related technologies is shoring up the need for talent.
In the second week after the 2025 Spring Festival holidays, job openings in the computer hardware industry increased by 10.8 percent week-on-week, ranking No.1 among all industries, according to Zhilian Zhaopin on Monday.
The growth is closely related to the nation’s strategy of AI development, such as robotics. Specifically, there is a high demand for technical talent in areas such as communication and hardware research and development, operations and maintenance support, and pre-sales and post-sales engineers within the computer hardware sector.
The number of job-seekers in the computer hardware industry was 49.9 percent higher than in the previous week and for the computer software industry the rise was 38.6 percent, ranking first and second, respectively. In addition, IT services, telecommunications and network equipment sectors also saw a growth of around 30 percent week-on-week, data showed.
The average monthly salary for computer hardware positions was 10,660 yuan ($1,469), up 5.9 percent week-on-week, and for computer software positions it was 11,360 yuan, up 8.3 percent.
The data suggested that AI advancement is demonstrating its beneficial influence on the IT sector, with the talent pool in associated fields experiencing a significant expansion, the report stated.
Given the rapid advancement of AI and related technologies, nearly every industry is accelerating its digital transformation, leading to a surge in demand for infrastructure such as data centers, cloud computing and edge computing, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Monday, adding that the construction and operation of infrastructure facilities in these sectors are inseparable from the support of computer hardware and software, thus driving the demand for talent.
After rapidly emerging as a key player in the global AI industry, Chinese AI firm DeepSeek has started a rapid expansion, as it made high-paying job offers for both fresh graduates and experienced professionals to attract top-tier talent, according to a China Fund News report on February 4.
The firm offers 14-month pay for various positions and the highest offer is for deep-learning researchers for artificial general intelligence, with a monthly salary of 80,000 yuan to 110,000 yuan, which could mean an annual income of up to 1.54 million yuan, the report said.
As the application of AI becomes more widespread, profound changes are taking place in various industries as well as in people’s lifestyles, Liu Dingding, a technology industry observer, told the Global Times on Monday.
“Under such circumstances, AI naturally becomes a focus for both education and hiring. In the future, the direction of education and job seeking may lean toward industries related to AI,” said Liu.
China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in 2024 announced 19 new professional categories, including generative AI system operator, and an industry report indicates that by 2030, China’s AI talent gap will reach 4 million, according to state broadcaster China Media Group.
Some top Chinese universities such as Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Harbin Institute of Technology have reportedly established AI schools and launched AI general curricula to enhance AI literacy among all new college students.
The government of Suzhou in East China’s Jiangsu Province on Friday announced measures to support the development of AI-related talent. It promises to provide up to 100 million yuan in project funding and up to 10 million yuan in housing subsidies, as well as “customized” support in aspects such as experimental equipment venues, computing power services.
The city also vows to explore recruitment needs in the field of AI by establishing no less than 5,000 high-quality positions for young talent each year. A special project targeting AI talent recruitment will be set up in the city’s master talent recruitment plan in key industries, and qualified graduates will be granted various housing and life subsidies, according to the government.
On July 5, 2024, Shanghai’s Pudong New Area issued a 10-point outline to attract AI professionals, including providing a maximum of 100 million yuan of subsidies for top AI experts and research teams and providing up to 5 million yuan in subsidies for AI enterprises established by domestic and overseas academicians.