Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news

A monthly salary of 6,000 to 10,000 yuan (US$723-US$1,205) might be more than enough for local residents, but it is far from satisfactory for luring Hong Kong specialists to work in Shanghai.
The first group of highly-qualified people from Hong Kong working in Shanghai on a trial basis currently earns an average monthly salary of 30,000 to 100,000 yuan in Hong Kong. They had expected to earn more than 20,000 yuan a month in Shanghai, an amount considered too high by local employers.
Salary is their top concern in considering work in Shanghai, said an industry analyst. Before coming to the city, they had been prepared to accept lower salaries, but 6,000-10,000 yuan a month is too little for them, especially married workers who have to support their families and pay housing loans in Hong Kong, the analyst pointed out.
Hong Kong specialists are believed to have good ideas for helping to improve management and uncovering weaknesses, said Yuan, a human resources manager with a local firm. However, employers have to pay three or four times the salaries of local employees for Hong Kong counterparts, or they are sure to leave for another job, Yuan said, adding that this situation is not cost-efficient to their company.
Local enterprises will spare no efforts to introduce badly-needed senior talents from overseas but for mid-level employees, they prefer to employ local talents at a lower cost, said an expert.