China’s tech giants are paying 1 million yuan for a new kind of AI engineer

Chinese tech behemoths are offering annual salaries nearing 1 million yuan ($149,739) to lure AI engineers capable of turning AI models into commercial applications. Companies like ByteDance, Tencent Holdings and Alibaba Group Holding are ramping up recruitment and training of these so-called forward-deployed engineers (FDEs), who work closely with clients to develop and integrate AI applications into their business operations.

The demand for these professionals has surged, with job postings for FDEs in China skyrocketing 1,523% in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from Chinese professional networking platform Maimai. This talent shortage has led to lucrative job offers. ByteDance has advertised FDE roles in its AI business providing monthly pay between 35,000 yuan and 65,000 yuan, with 15 months of annual compensation, potentially totaling up to 975,000 yuan.

Alibaba's Ant Digital Technologies has offered a monthly range of 40,000 yuan to 60,000 yuan for business-focused FDEs. Tencent's FDE positions have ranged from 30,000 yuan to 60,000 yuan per month. Other tech giants, like US firm Anthropic, are also investing in talent development. Anthropic announced a $100 million program to train 10,000 FDEs by the end of 2027.

However, the high salaries advertised may not reflect what the majority of FDEs earn, according to George Wang, a senior HR professional at a top AI firm in Beijing. "The advertised salaries only represent a small portion of the market," Wang explained. "Most positions do not pay that much." Nonetheless, the competition for talent is fierce, prompting Chinese firms to establish their own FDE workforce.

Tencent Cloud recently introduced the industry's first FDE certification, targeting engineers and developers working with its Agent Development Platform. The Chinese government has also shown support, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology urging firms to establish FDE teams at customer sites and encouraging universities to cultivate relevant talent.