Not knowing how much you'll be making, or what kind of job you'll have, I can't say much specifically about this. A few general points/questions:

1) Are you being paid in USD (or other foreign currency) or RMB? If you are being paid in local currency, that is fine for local living...but changing that money to USD and transferring it back home to pay bills can be extremely problematic. Always do your best to be sure you are paid in currency other than RMB

2) Try to get a foreign bank account, and have your funds paid directly to that account. Check in advance to see which banks actually have offices in China, and will allow you to open accounts (this is quite limited at present). The reason for this is that transferring funds from a Chinese bank, even in foreign funds, is both expensive and slow.

3) You should be aware that Americans are double-taxed on income made in China -- you have to pay local Chinese taxes, AND pay US taxes on income earned. There are ways around this, but unless this is addressed before beginning your employment, you could find a substantial chunk of your money being lost to taxes.

4) On the positive side, if you have some free time, and are somewhat entrepeneurial/independent, there are other ways to make extra cash in China.

Can't really say much more than this...main thing is, be prepared and do your research in advance, so you don't get caught by any of these potential problems.

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Couldn't figure out how to reply without posting to everyone, but thanks for that advice. I know my question was pretty vague, but you actually provided a lot of new and very useful information. Thanks!

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