Shanghai follows with an average monthly salary of 4,331 yuan and Gansu province is at the bottom of the list with a monthly average wage of 2,742 yuan, according to statistics published by local authorities.

The average annual salary of urban non-private employees reached 42,452 yuan in 2011, 14.3 percent more than the average salary of 37,147 yuan in 2010. The actual growth rate is 8.5 percent if inflation is deducted, according to National Bureau of Statistics.

But some people say their salary is not as high as the published statistics and that they are "dragging the average salary down".

The salary published is pre-tax and comprises of all kinds of income including bonuses, allowances and pay in kind.