Abstract:

In order to find out the problems and then provide empirical basis for the reform of pay system of Chinese university staff, the current study analyzes the actual and expected pay level and pay mix of Chinese university staff by using administrative data and large-scale micro survey data, and draws the following conclusions. The pay level of Chinese university staffs is relatively competitive in China, but it is not internationally competitive enough. The annual pay and its components of most staff are lower than the average, and the pay expectation of the vast majority of staffs is higher than the actual pay. The proportion of the base pay of university staff in the monthly pay is low, and it is lower than their expectation. The proportion of faculties in the “Double First-Class” universities and staff in the eastern regions expecting salary increases is significantly higher than that of other staff. Based on the above research findings, the study proposes three suggestions on raising pay level and optimizing pay mix to facilitate the reform of pay system of Chinese university faculty.

Key words: university staff, pay level, pay mix, pay expectation