Hong Kong is home to some of Asia's best-known universities, including the University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The city has eight universities funded by the University Grants Committee (UGC), with strong international profiles in teaching and research. These universities regularly recruit academics from Hong Kong, mainland China and overseas.
For academics considering a career in Hong Kong, one of the city's attractions is its competitive academic salaries. However, finding reliable salary information is not always straightforward. Hong Kong universities operate as independent institutions and have considerable autonomy over their human resources and remuneration policies. As a result, universities do not consistently publish their academic salary scales.
This article brings together publicly available information to provide an overview of academic salaries at Hong Kong universities, including a detailed 2018 snapshot from the Legislative Council and more recent salary information available in 2026.
Academic salaries are competitive, but salary information is not always transparent
Hong Kong universities have considerable autonomy over their employment and remuneration policies. Since the deregulation of university salary scales in 2003, the University Grants Committee has not controlled the actual salary expenditure of individual universities.
Consequently, there is no single salary scale covering all eight UGC-funded universities. One university may publish a complete salary range, another may disclose only a starting salary in a recruitment advertisement, while another may not publish numerical salary information at all.
This makes it difficult for academics to make direct comparisons between institutions.
One of the most useful sources for comparing universities is a written question answered by the Hong Kong Government in the Legislative Council in May 2018. The question requested information on academic staffing, employment arrangements, salaries and benefits at Hong Kong's tertiary institutions. The responses included information supplied by individual UGC-funded universities.
The 2018 data provide an unusually comprehensive snapshot of academic salary structures across Hong Kong's universities.
Academic salary levels reported in 2018
The following table summarises the salary information reported by the eight UGC-funded universities in response to the 2018 Legislative Council question.
University | Assistant Professor | Associate Professor | Professor | Type of figure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The University of Hong Kong | HK$69,895–121,020* | HK$69,895–121,020* | HK$69,895–121,020* | Professoriate Grades |
The Chinese University of Hong Kong | HK$73,895 | HK$97,235 | HK$129,910 | Salary-scale median |
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | HK$59,570 | HK$71,530 | HK$87,575 | Starting salary |
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Salary ranges existed but figures were not disclosed |
City University of Hong Kong | HK$93,400 | HK$107,050 | HK$133,850 | Salary-scale median |
Hong Kong Baptist University | HK$55,845–86,280 | HK$77,615–107,875 | HK$99,270–139,030 | Salary range |
Lingnan University | HK$62,810–93,025 | HK$80,295–105,690 | HK$98,295–132,040 | Salary range |
The Education University of Hong Kong | HK$64,100+ | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | Minimum salary |
*HKU reported a combined salary range for its Professoriate Grades rather than separate figures for Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor.
The figures should not be treated as directly comparable. For example, the CUHK and CityU figures represent salary-scale medians, while the HKUST figures represent starting salaries. HKBU and Lingnan reported salary ranges, while EdUHK reported a minimum salary.
Nevertheless, the 2018 Legislative Council exercise remains one of the most useful sources for understanding the relative salary structures of Hong Kong universities.
CityU reported median salary-scale figures of HK$93,400 for Assistant Professor, HK$107,050 for Associate Professor and HK$133,850 for Professor. P2018052300447_284320_1_1527071…
HKUST reported starting salaries of HK$59,570, HK$71,530 and HK$87,575 for Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor respectively. P2018052300447_284326_1_1527071…
HKU reported a Professoriate Grades salary range of HK$69,895–121,020 per month in 2017, rather than separate salary ranges for each professorial rank. P2018052300447_284327_1_1527071…
PolyU confirmed that it had separate salary ranges for different academic ranks, but did not disclose the numerical figures in its response. P2018052300447_284325_1_1527071…
What are academic salaries like in 2026?
The 2018 figures are useful as a historical benchmark, but they are now several years old. More recent information has to be assembled from different sources, including university recruitment advertisements, published salary structures and Hong Kong Government information.
Hong Kong Education Bureau reference
The Hong Kong Education Bureau provides a useful general reference for university academic salaries.
Its current career information indicates approximate monthly salaries of:
Academic rank | Reference salary |
|---|---|
Assistant Professor | HK$70,000+ |
Associate Professor | HK$90,000+ |
Professor | HK$111,000+ |
These are general reference figures rather than a universal salary scale. Actual salaries can vary according to the university, the candidate's experience and ability, and the specific appointment.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Recent CUHK recruitment information provides clear current starting salaries:
Academic rank | Current starting base salary |
|---|---|
Assistant Professor | HK$80,825+ per month |
Associate Professor | HK$100,050+ per month |
Professor | HK$126,370+ per month |
These figures demonstrate that current CUHK starting salaries are already above the median salary-scale figures reported by CUHK in 2018.
CUHK also offers additional benefits for eligible academic appointments, which may include a housing allowance and an end-of-contract gratuity.
Lingnan University
Recent recruitment information from Lingnan University indicates a minimum basic salary of more than HK$934,000 per year for an Assistant Professor.
This is equivalent to approximately HK$77,833 per month when divided over 12 months.
This provides a useful university-specific benchmark for current Assistant Professor salaries.
Hong Kong Baptist University
HKBU provides one of the clearest published salary structures among Hong Kong universities.
Its academic salary structure effective from 1 July 2024 was:
Academic rank | Minimum | Midpoint | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|
Assistant Professor | HK$62,440 | HK$87,440 | HK$112,440 |
Associate Professor | HK$78,405 | HK$107,545 | HK$136,685 |
Professor | HK$99,890 | HK$138,190 | HK$176,490 |
Chair Professor | HK$160,095+ | — | — |
The figures illustrate the difference between a starting or minimum salary and the potential salary within an established university salary scale.
How competitive are Hong Kong academic salaries?
The available evidence suggests that academic salaries in Hong Kong remain competitive by international standards, particularly for experienced academics.
For an Assistant Professor, current publicly available figures generally point to a level of around HK$70,000–80,000 or more per month at several universities, although individual offers can be lower or higher.
For an Associate Professor, salaries of around HK$90,000–100,000 or more per month are increasingly visible in current reference and recruitment data.
For Professors, current reference and recruitment figures can reach HK$110,000–125,000 or more per month, while published salary scales at some universities extend considerably higher.
HKBU's 2024 salary scale, for example, reaches HK$176,490 per month for Professor, while Chair Professor starts at HK$160,095 per month.
These figures should not, however, be interpreted as a standard salary applicable to every university. Academic salaries vary according to institution, academic rank, discipline, experience, research record and the terms of the individual appointment.
Salary is only part of the package
Academics considering a position in Hong Kong should also look beyond the basic salary.
Depending on the university and appointment, academic staff may receive benefits such as housing allowances or university accommodation, medical and dental coverage, retirement or superannuation benefits, annual leave, insurance coverage and end-of-contract gratuities.
Housing can be particularly important in Hong Kong, where accommodation costs are high. A position with a slightly lower base salary but substantial housing support may therefore be more attractive than a position offering a higher nominal salary without comparable benefits.
A current snapshot of academic salaries
Based on the publicly available information reviewed for this article, the following provides a useful snapshot of academic salaries in Hong Kong.
University or source | Assistant Professor | Associate Professor | Professor |
|---|---|---|---|
Hong Kong Education Bureau reference | HK$70,000+ | HK$90,000+ | HK$111,000+ |
CUHK current starting base | HK$80,825+ | HK$100,050+ | HK$126,370+ |
Lingnan current advertised minimum | HK$77,833+* | — | — |
HKBU 2024 salary scale | HK$62,440–112,440 | HK$78,405–136,685 | HK$99,890–176,490 |
CUHK 2017–18 salary-scale median | HK$73,895 | HK$97,235 | HK$129,910 |
CityU 2018 salary-scale median | HK$93,400 | HK$107,050 | HK$133,850 |
Lingnan 2018 salary range | HK$62,810–93,025 | HK$80,295–105,690 | HK$98,295–132,040 |
HKBU 2018 salary range | HK$55,845–86,280 | HK$77,615–107,875 | HK$99,270–139,030 |
*Calculated from a minimum annual salary of HK$934,000 divided by 12 months.
What should academics consider when comparing Hong Kong universities?
The available salary data suggest that Hong Kong remains an attractive market for academics, but salary comparisons require some caution.
First, not all universities publish their salary scales. Second, the figures that are available do not always measure the same thing. A starting salary, minimum salary, salary-scale midpoint, salary-scale median and maximum salary are different measures.
Third, the overall remuneration package can be more important than the basic salary. Housing, retirement benefits, gratuities, research funding and other benefits can substantially affect the value of an academic appointment.
For academics considering Hong Kong, it is therefore worth asking prospective employers about:
base salary;
salary scale and progression;
housing allowance or university accommodation;
retirement and gratuity arrangements;
research and start-up funding;
teaching and administrative workload;
contract length and promotion arrangements; and
other benefits attached to the appointment.
Hong Kong's universities operate in a highly international academic market and compete for talent from around the world. While salary information remains less transparent than in some other higher education systems, the available evidence indicates that academic remuneration at leading Hong Kong universities can be highly competitive.
For academics looking for opportunities in Asia, Hong Kong is therefore a market worth considering — particularly for candidates who evaluate the full employment package rather than salary alone.
