A new U.S. survey shows that Chinese teachers' average wage has almost dropped to the bottom on a list of 28 countries studied, the New York Times reported.

In terms of purchasing power, newly hired Chinese university teachers are the worst off, earning 1632 yuan ($259) each, and the average wage of university teacher in China is only 4537 yuan ($720), according to the statistics released by Philip Altbach and his colleagues at the Center for International Higher Education.

The report aroused hot discussion among Chinese netizens and many university teachers complain about their low income and plain living styles, Xinhua reported.

A netizen named "color ink" posted that he has been a university teacher for 37 years, with a monthly wage less than 4,000 yuan. However, his students can normally earn 6,000 yuan per month soon after graduation. He felt lost and helpless.

In general, many netizens call for the increase of academics' salaries to ensure their living standards and social status.