Vietnamese companies ready to offer high salaries for AI talent
The survey, which involved nearly 500 businesses and 1,500 candidates, highlights the growing demand for AI talent in Vietnam.
On October 7, VietnamWorks inTECH, Navigos Group’s IT recruitment brand, released the report "Current Trends in IT Recruitment During the AI Wave (2024-2025)". The report, based on surveys conducted in July and August, provides key insights for businesses and candidates about the impact of AI on Vietnam’s IT job market.
Current IT Job Market Trends
The report shows that the IT job market in Vietnam was relatively stable in the first half of 2024, with a job-switching rate of only 32%. However, the future outlook is dynamic, as over 65% of IT professionals are either actively seeking or planning to look for new jobs in the next 6-12 months.
The top three factors that IT professionals prioritize when looking for new jobs are salary (equal to or higher than their current position), career advancement opportunities, and financial stability of the company.
To secure new positions quickly, many IT professionals are willing to take on more responsibilities and handle multiple tasks—an increase of 10% compared to last year’s survey. Navigos Group experts note that competition in the IT job market is becoming increasingly intense.
Challenges and Opportunities in IT Recruitment
Social media remains a popular tool for IT professionals searching for jobs. Notably, despite its recent launch, 4.4% of surveyed IT professionals are using Threads to find work, and 2.4% of businesses are using it to recruit talent.
Among employers, the most challenging roles to fill are product managers and directors, accounting for 25.6% of responses. The majority of companies believe that candidates for these positions often fall short of the required qualifications.
Future Hiring Needs in 2025
Looking ahead to 2025, businesses anticipate a diverse range of hiring needs, with a strong focus on AI and data-related roles. Backend/Frontend Developer is expected to be the most sought-after role (22.5%), followed by Product Owner/Product Manager/Project Manager (15.7%).
The Navigos Group survey also revealed that many companies are ready to offer higher salaries to AI professionals compared to other IT roles. Specifically, 43.7% of businesses reported paying AI professionals 10-20% more, while 18.4% said they offer 20-50% higher salaries for AI talent.
The Impact of AI on the IT Industry
Discussing the impact of AI on the industry, Phan Thanh Hien, Product and Technology Director at Navigos Group, commented that recent breakthroughs in AI, especially generative AI, present numerous opportunities for businesses to improve work efficiency and offer innovative AI-based solutions.
AI will also transform how existing IT roles are performed, requiring substantial skill shifts across the industry. For example, programmers will need to learn how to use AI to generate code, focusing more on solution design, testing, and debugging. Testers will need to adopt AI tools for automated test script generation, saving time and increasing efficiency.
AI will accelerate automation, but the role of humans in evaluation, optimization, and quality control remains essential. Navigos Group experts also highlighted that the biggest challenge for IT professionals and recruiters will be adapting to AI as it becomes mainstream.
Generative AI offers tremendous opportunities, but it also requires both employees and businesses to change traditional working methods. IT professionals should equip themselves with AI skills to optimize work processes, reduce manual tasks, and focus on more creative tasks.
Investing in training and fostering a technology-driven culture will enable employees to effectively leverage AI. To overcome challenges and embrace AI effectively, both IT professionals and businesses need to develop a flexible mindset and be open to acquiring new knowledge.
