Salaries in Vietnam are lower than in other regional countries, except in Indonesia, where they are the same, according to a salary report from JobStreet.com.

Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines all use salary as an effective tool to attract talent. Salaries in Singapore are six times higher than in Vietnam, in Malaysia three times, higher, and in the Philippines 1.5 times higher.

In terms of senior senior personnel (CEO, President, Director, Vice President, and General Manager), salaries in Singapore are four times higher than in Vietnam and in Malaysia they are double.

Salaries for new graduates in Vietnam range from $250 to $387 a month, compared to $1,337 to $1,879 in Singapore.

The report also showed that salaries for senior personnel have increased dramatically. In the first quarter of 2016 they had increased 53 per cent year-on-year, which JobStreet.com attributed to a shortage of such personnel.

In terms of industry, senior personnel at fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) earned the highest monthly salaries, of VND144 million ($6,459).

According to JobStreet’s survey in April of 3,000 Vietnamese candidates, 84 per cent said that salary was the most important factor when seeking a job but only 60 per cent knew what the salary was prior to attending an interview.