What are the Jobs Available for Expats in Vietnam

Unlike in the United States of America or United Kingdom, life as well as culture in Vietnam is repeatedly a very big difference. This applies to anyone who is experienced with the life in the US, Australia, Europe or any other developed country for that matter. However, it is a land full of many contrasts, despite the within chaos in addition to commotion, there is stillness that has to be experienced to believe. If you are an expat, looking to move in to Vietnam, here is a brief guide about the job opportunities in the country.

Economic transformation is a recent trend in the country, but the country is surely opening up to foreign investment. This brings plenty of job opportunities for expats in Vietnam, especially for professionals engaged in technical and creative fields. There’s plenty of demand for people with experience in niche fields such as advertising, finance, etc. Reforms in the banking sector and other sectors that were primarily state-owned have led to job opportunities for foreigners. Vietnam’s income is largely through the manufacturing sector, but there are also jobs for people in the service sector. It is also fairly easy for such professionals to apply for visa in Vietnam.

Salaries for such employees ranges from anywhere from $5000-$6000/month besides allowances for travel, food, accommodation, insurance, etc. Mind you, these salaries are for those who’re seeking employment after coming to Vietnam. If you were offered a job when in your own country, you will be a part of the expatriate package. My advice to expats in Vietnam seeking employment in the country is to keep their expectations reasonable. Vietnam is a growing economy with problems of its own. They’re not robust enough to offer salaries that are on par with western economies. Besides, you will also have competition from the growing number of professionals within the country.

Vietnam’s economy is largely concentrated on the manufacturing side; it’s only recently that the services sector is opening up. This presents a huge opportunity for expats in Vietnam looking to settle in the country.

Besides these, you also have a huge opportunity as a language teacher teaching English as well as French, which are the most popular foreign languages in Vietnam. Cities like Hanoi prefer employing teachers with a degree in the language, but in smaller cities, this is not usually the case. You can also seek employment with universities that hire language teachers. The pay is also good- anywhere from $10-$15/hour, besides accommodation and unlimited visa renewals. Private tutorials are also popular with the pay being anywhere from $20-$25/hour.

You can either apply for a short term visa or an A2 visa with a proper work permit. Short term visas are very popular among expats from western countries like US and UK.