Base Salary Marks the Floor
Annual base income serves as the starting point for total compensation. Depending on the company’s size and your skills, regional sales heads can expect:
Small Firms: Base pay ranging from $80,000 to $150,000 Mid-Sized Companies: Base salary between $120,000 and $180,000 Large MNCs: Base earnings from $180,000 to $250,000 or more Typically, roles in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) emphasize tactical execution, while sales leaders in large corporations handle broader strategic responsibilities across multiple regions. Both avenues present attractive opportunities for career advancement.
Major Bonus Categories
Various performance bonuses can easily double your base pay as a foreign China sales head. Common programs include:
Annual Bonuses: 15-25% of base salary tied to beating revenue or profits target
Overachievement Commissions: Hard cash payouts for dramatically exceeding sales quotas
New Market Bonuses: Lump sum rewards for opening and stabilizing previously untapped regional territories
Management Bonuses: Extra payout for strong talent development and team building metrics
Typical ranges for total bonus earnings span $50,000-150,000+ atop base salaries. So orchestrating a stellar sales team pays off handsomely.
Earning Equity Upside
Public firms and VC-backed startups also grant foreign sales heads lucrative equity like stock options or share grants. Cash those out for:
IPO Bonanza: Equity values can spike over 500%+ when your company eventually goes public in an IPO exit.
Buyout Bonus: Even if your company gets acquired privately before IPO, equity payouts during buyout deals routinely deliver 200-300% returns.
Annual Equity Refreshers: MNCs give incremental grants each year which further accumulate and vest over your tenure.
Getting compensated in equity incentivizes you to focus on the long term China opportunity, not just immediate sales impact. Plan properly around the equity components that multiply earning potential on top of fat paychecks.
Negotiating For More
Approach compensation discussion tactfully to maximize your career earnings in China.
Emphasize niche sector expertise that global firms desperately want accessing new markets abroad.
Use competing offers to catalyze bidding around the compensation ultimately extended.
Make generous expatriate perks like annual international airfare and school subsidy non-negotiable from the outset.
Clearly regional sales heads in China earn well into the upper echelons of global compensation scales. Now get negotiating and landing that dream package!