There are pay gaps among application groups, programming languages, and scope of work, according to a report from VietnamWorks and TopITworks on Salary in Information Technology in mid-2017, released on August 29.

Information in the report is based on data collected from 800 IT professionals in Vietnam.

The Saas programming application group ranks the first in payroll, with up to 50 per cent of survey participants having experience in this area.

The second-highest-paid is the Embedded System group, but only 15 per cent of participants have related experience. Sixty-seven per cent of those interviewed are web programmers, but payroll for this team is second from bottom and only higher than game developers.

The survey revealed that candidates with C++ programming skills earn the highest salary compared to other skills, receiving about 10 per cent more than those with Java programming skills.

Java skills were the second highest in terms of salary, followed by HTML / CSS / JS, .NET, and PHP. There is not much difference in salary among these, at only 2-3%. 

Salary increases are based on different positions. Project Managers receive 30 per cent more than Team Leaders, Team Leaders 31 per cent more than Programmers, and Programmers 5 per cent more than Product Testing. Salaries are still ranked on experience more than position, so moving up to a higher position does not necessarily mean that the salary will rise suddenly.

The survey also found that language is a key factor that helps IT specialists earn a high salary, but this has proven to be a limitation among IT candidates.

Applicants with advanced Japanese language - at Level N1 - earn about 40 per cent more than those with Level N5, but only 1 per cent of survey participants hold a Level N1 certificate.

Highly-qualified English candidates are paid 48 per cent more than those with basic English skills, though 22 per cent of respondents said they have advanced English skills.

The report also showed that a “Good Working Environment” is a main reason for IT specialists being willing to work for a company.

Forty-seven per cent of respondents said they intend to leave their companies within the next six months, 40 per cent said they are satisfied with their current job, 30 per cent are undecided, and 26 per cent are not pleased with their current job.

When asked about which factors would make them feel more comfortable at work, 30 per cent said if the working environment improved and 25 per cent if a better balance could be struck between work and life, while 21 per cent said a salary increase would determine their level of satisfaction.

Along with Navigos Search, VietnamWorks is a member of the Navigos Group Vietnam, the leading recruitment service cooperation in the country.

VietnamWorks is the leading and longest-running online recruitment channel in Vietnam, with over 3 million monthly visits. Since its foundation in 2002, it has delivered jobs to over 2.4 million registered professionals and provided recruitment solutions to more than 8,500 companies. Its large database of experienced jobseekers and reliable employers is an invaluable asset in Vietnam’s competitive recruitment market.

VN Economic Times