MK sport east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 6, 2025. A job fair was held here on Thursday. Over 120 enterprises from a variety of industries such as new energy, new materials, intelligent manufacturing and biomedicine participated in the job fair, providing more than 3,000 jobs. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-02-07/e6d8730f-4a0d-4ee7-90b8-b7f2af0054a4.jpeg" />

Jobseekers attend a job fair held in Jiande, East China's Zhejiang Province, February 6, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

China's artificial intelligence (AI) sector is significantly expanding its hiring efforts as the spring recruitment season kicks off, with industry leaders such as Unitree Robotics and DeepSeek actively seeking top talent by offering high salaries, according to reports. 

On the recruitment side, the number of AI job offerings has increased, with AI engineers taking the leading with an average monthly salary of 21,319 yuan ($2,918), according to a report on the website of the Economic Daily.

Meanwhile, a report from Zhilian Zhaopin, a Chinese job-search platform, showed that the first week after the Spring Festival holidays saw a 33.4-percent year-on-year increase in job applications for the AI industry, the highest growth rate across all sectors. The number of applicants for AI engineers led the pack with a 69.6 percent rise, according to the report sent to the Global Times on Tuesday.

The rapid development and maturing of AI technologies have boosted confidence and interest in the sector, making AI engineers the highest-paying profession, said Zhilian Zhaopin, adding that this surge in salaries reflects the swift rise of large language models in China and their impact on the country's job market.

As China's AI industry continues to develop, it is expected to see AI being integrated into more industrial sectors, leading to a comprehensive increase in demand for skilled AI professionals, Tian Yun, a Beijing-based economist, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The demand for high-level AI talent is setting a benchmark for China's talent cultivation, Tian said, adding that the AI industry's growth is also contributing to a broader trend in industrial upgrading and automation, with an increased need for AI-related expertise in relevant sectors.

In addition to the surge in AI job opportunities, several advanced manufacturing industries are also experiencing growth in recruitment. Data from Zhilian Zhaopin showed that the first week of the spring recruitment season saw a 57-percent year-on-year increase in hiring for drone engineers and a 77-percent rise in demand for drone pilots. 

The semiconductor, electronics and integrated circuit sectors also reported a 9.2-percent rise in job openings during the same period, according to Zhilian Zhaopin.

As China's industrial transformation continues, the demand for high-level talent across emerging industries will continue to rise, potentially reshaping the country's labor market and employment structure, Tian said.