VietNamNet Bridge - The highest paid employees in Vietnam are in the medical sector, not the finance and banking sector, as is often assumed, according to a survey conducted by recruiting firm JobStreet Vietnam.

According to a report "Transparency of wages in recruitment in Vietnam" published by JobStreetVietnam on May 20, the top five sectors with the highest average salary for employees in Vietnam are medical workers, with VND24.03 million a month ($1,100), office experts, information technology, and management positions in the tourism sector with over VND18.5 million.

However, the report also shows that salaries for Vietnamese employees are still low compared to Singapore and Malaysia.

Typically, senior reporters and editors in Vietnam receive only $393-$615/month, five times lower than Singapore ($2,237-$3,375 USD) and two times less than Malaysia ($812-$1,308).

Similarly, high-level management positions in human resources in Vietnam also receive lower wages than other countries in the region.

The salary for this position is $1,310-$1,845 in Vietnam, about four times lower than Singapore, and only half compared to Malaysia ($2,326-$4,434).

According to the report, the executive segment has seen improvement in wages.

Chief financial officers (CFO) earn a monthly salary that is about 40% of similar positions in Singapore and a little higher than Malaysia. In Vietnam, the salary for a CFO is $2,002-$2,877.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, the figure is about $4,992-$7,064 and in Malaysia, $2,326-$3,780.

For senior managers in the manufacturing industry, Singapore is still at the top, with about $3,532-$6,004. Malaysia, at $2,326-$4,361, and Vietnam, $1,172- $1,744.

Zing