🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Maimai’s data relies on platform-specific metrics that lack transparency

• Maimai lists a hiring index of 897 for ByteDance and a 543% year-on-year jump in AI postings. The index lacks a plain definition. Readers cannot tell if it tracks job counts or relative activity or cross-firm comparability.
• Without Maimai’s method, baselines, or coverage scope, readers cannot judge whether ByteDance leads on hiring scale or just posts more on that platform. Zhaopin, a large Chinese online recruitment site, recorded 11% year-on-year AI recruitment growth in Q3 and 3% for the first three quarters 1.
• The average monthly AI pay of 61,764 yuan lacks context on seniority, role type, or region. AI scientists (senior research-focused roles) average about 127,000 yuan each month 2. Entry-level data annotation or AI训练师 roles (AI trainer roles focused on labeling data and guiding model outputs) average around 6,479 yuan 1.

Training providers can target cities with the sharpest AI demand spikes

• The surge in AI postings and high average pay signal a skills gap that education and certification firms can use to focus on high-demand cities and sectors.
• Beijing holds 18.6% of AI engineer roles and 25.3% of AI product manager openings. Hangzhou offers the highest product manager pay at about 29,000 yuan a month, while Shanghai averages about 26,900 yuan for algorithm engineers 1. These patterns set clear entry points for targeted upskilling.
• Recruiters can stand out by focusing on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Firms with 20–299 employees account for about 72% of AI hiring 1. SMEs overall, including companies with 20 or fewer employees, account for over 80% 1. Competition for talent is less intense than at ByteDance or Alibaba. Many candidates in these firms may value growth equity (equity or stock options tied to a firm’s expansion) over immediate pay.