The Vietnamese government has issued Decree No. 103, establishing new regulations on compensation and benefits for workers in core defense and security industrial establishments.

The policy introduces significantly higher pay scales for top-tier experts, scientists, and chief engineers, aiming to attract high-level talent to critical national projects.

Under the new decree, core national defense and security industries are allowed to contract leading specialists, scientists, and chief engineers through employment agreements, consulting partnerships, or service contracts.

Compensation, including salaries, bonuses, and contract values, will be determined based on job requirements, individual expertise, and contributions - aligned with prevailing standards in relevant industries.

Top engineers could earn over $9,000 per month

According to Article 19 of the decree, when funding comes from the state budget, the maximum monthly salary is capped as follows:

Experts: up to 30 times the base salary (over 70 million VND or approximately 2,750 USD)

Leading scientists: up to 80 times the base salary (over 187 million VND or approximately 7,340 USD)

Chief engineers: up to 100 times the base salary (over 230 million VND or approximately 9,170 USD)

These professionals will also receive the benefits applicable to official scientific and technological positions under Vietnam’s innovation and science laws.

They will be prioritized for leadership in strategic science and technology programs focused on weapons development and specialized technical equipment. Additionally, they may be appointed to roles aligned with their expertise and responsibilities.

Housing, welfare, and incentive perks

If they do not own housing or live more than 30 kilometers from their workplace, eligible individuals will be given priority for state housing. If such housing is unavailable, they will receive rental support or may access low-interest loans from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies to buy homes on installment. They will also receive the highest priority among public servants and officials for purchasing social housing.

Moreover, these individuals will be entitled to paid vacation benefits under the talent-attraction policies.

Experts working in defense and security industries will be compensated based on performance, with total monthly income not exceeding the stipulated limits.

As of Prime Ministerial Decision No. 2057 dated November 16, 2011, Vietnam has 79 core defense industry establishments, including 64 enterprises and 15 non-business entities.

While Vietnam's defense industry has made strides in developing the capacity to design, produce, maintain, and modernize weapons and technical equipment, several core facilities still lack the necessary infrastructure. There is also a shortage of strong policies to foster innovation in advanced materials, core technologies, and foundational science.

Talent recruitment, training, and incentives in this sector have remained too uniform and insufficiently competitive.

This new decree aims to resolve such gaps, enabling more effective development of Vietnam’s defense and security industries.

Tran Thuong