Silicon Valley Coders Versus Taiwan’s Highest-Paid Employees: A Stark Pay Comparison

Originally published 2023-01-11Data observations with Robin’s commentary

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Collected in Robin Shen’s Field Notes · Content type and attribution are shown above

English translation of the Chinese post originally published 2023-01-11. Translated 2026-10-27 with AI assistance. Historical figures and claims have not been updated or independently verified. 中文原文

Reading guide

Robin guesses that fewer than 5% of general managers at Taiwan’s 2,000 listed or emerging-stock companies earn more than NT$10 million a year—less than a senior Silicon Valley engineer’s US$400,000–500,000. A Silicon Valley coder, he jokes, is Taiwan’s king of salaried workers. For comparison, cited reports put the Taiwan Stock Exchange and Taipei Exchange chairmen’s salaries and bonuses around NT$8 million, and the premier’s monthly salary and public allowance around NT$330,000, or roughly NT$4.5 million annually. His playful conclusion: his child should study hard and become an employee in Silicon Valley. These figures reflect early 2023 and quoted reporting.

Key points

Robin estimates fewer than 5% of Taiwan’s listed-company general managers earn over NT$10 million annually.
The comparison is a senior Silicon Valley engineer earning US$400,000–500,000 a year.
Quoted figures: exchange chairmen around NT$8 million and the premier around NT$4.5 million.
The joking conclusion: study hard and work in Silicon Valley.

Columns and beams in an open building are connected by central rods and balanced weights, suggesting structure and checks in governance. — Capital markets & governanceThematic illustration · AI generated

Full text — English translation

My little one should study hard and go be an employee in Silicon Valley. XD A Silicon Valley coder = Taiwan’s king of salaried workers. Among the general managers of Taiwan’s 2,000 listed, OTC-listed, or emerging-stock companies, I guess fewer than 5% earn over NT$10 million annually. That is still below a senior Silicon Valley engineer’s US$400,000–500,000 annual pay. ---- The Taiwan Stock Exchange and Taipei Exchange chairmen receive around NT$8 million in salary plus bonuses. Link below: https://tw.stock.yahoo.com/news/%E9%87%91%E8%9E%8D-%E8%AD%89%E5%88%B8f4%E8%91%A3%E7%B8%BD%E8%96%AA%E8%B3%87-%E6%AF%94%E9%99%A2%E9%95%B7%E7%B4%9A%E9%AB%98-060118890.html For government officials heading the Yuan-level branches, the quoted monthly salary is NT$98,160 plus a public allowance of NT$235,200, totaling NT$333,360. Salary and year-end work bonuses calculated over 13.5 months produce annual pay of roughly NT$4.5 million.

These articles are personal notes, book excerpts, and collected reprints. Figures and events reflect the time of the original publication, are not current information, and do not constitute investment advice.

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