FAQ

Is a higher base salary in Silicon Valley always better? No. The base is higher, but equity and sign‑on can bring total comp within $40,000 of Chinese offers. The US candidate in Q3 2023 got $187,000 base + $35,000 sign‑on; the Chinese candidate got ¥1,120,000 base + ¥120,000 sign‑on, resulting in $210,000 total.

Do I need to be fluent in Mandarin to succeed as a remote PM in China? Not always, but most senior hires require Mandarin for stakeholder alignment. The ByteDance HC recorded a 0‑3 No Hire for a candidate who answered only in English.

Can I accelerate promotion in a US remote PM role without cross‑team visibility? No. The Google Maps HC promoted only those who led visible cross‑regional launches. The promotion rubric was “Visibility × Impact.” Without visibility, the candidate stalled at L5.

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