I read an article in The Straits Times today on how a 50 year old Chinese plumber makes RMB10,000 a month clearing drains in Wuhan, Hubei, China. This is about S$2,000 and about 5 times more than what a fresh graduate in China is able to command as an office executive.
The plumber has saved enough money to buy a car and pay off his mortgage, feats which Chinese office executives are envious of.