The top university doctor is shocked with an income of 8 million/month, what is the real salary of the doctorate?

“Capable of picking up equipment” with a PhD salary

Not too surprised with the current general salary of the doctor, Dr. X. (teaching at a university in Hanoi) said: “According to the law on salary coefficient for PhDs The starting point is a coefficient of 3.0. This is the salary level of the doctorate when working in state agencies, it will be much lower than that of the private sector outside.However, once it is determined to work in the public environment and follow Pursuing the academic and research path, I was forced to accept the salary level and salary range in accordance with regulations.

In addition to a fixed salary, I received a small allowance and an increased salary. This additional salary also depends on the number of extra teaching hours, the hotness of the industry, the number of students, etc., so the additional salary of the lecturers will not be the same. Even those who have worked for a long time, if they do not have additional teaching hours, their income is still low.”

With a total income of less than 10 million VND/month, many PhDs “cry to heaven” because of the low salary in the context of escalating prices. Compared to the standard of living in big cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City… PhD can only save expenses and minimize needs to be able to survive.

Still have a doctor with an income of more than 40 million VND/month

Talking more with Tien Phong, Dr. T. Hai (teaching chemistry) of a top university in the country said: “My fixed salary is also multiplied by the common factor: 3.0 x 1.49. As for the school I am working at, which has been financially independent for nearly 5 years now, the lecturers have an additional salary (salary 2) depending on the productivity and number of teaching hours. The subject I teach is a general subject of the department, so the number of lessons is more due to the relatively large number of students. On average, my 2nd salary ranges from 11 to 15 million VND/month and varies from period to period.

In order to improve the total income, I noticed that some PhDs have flexibly received additional research projects or professional advice for businesses. Personally, I am also receiving a 1-year research project, bringing in an income of about 20 million VND per month. However, this is not a sustainable number, it is only limited by the time of the project.”

How much is the salary of a Vietnamese doctor abroad?

Sharing more about the reality of the doctor’s income in the 5.0 era, Dr. Vo Duc Thang (born in 1987, currently working at the Technical Academy, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology) information: “In Taiwan, the basic salary of a PhD working at the University of education is about 60 million VND/month, salary will increase by nearly 1 million/year or depending on the government’s salary increase policy. If appointed to the position of Associate Professor or Professor, the salary will have a higher step up. In addition, the salary for experimental lecturers will be lower if the university only recruits master’s degrees for these positions.

If you calculate the basic level as a newly graduated doctorate working in the position of Assistant Professor, the salary is not much different from working in an outside company, but if you calculate the income (including bonuses) can be considered much lower. Working at school, the bonus is fixed according to the regulations of the government, about 1.5 months’ salary, and the outside company depends on the policy of each company.

In addition to the basic salary, the lecturer can also receive a number of other salary sources such as the class president who also has an additional salary of more than 2 million / month and depending on the number of students in the homeroom class, with each research topic, they also receive an additional salary of more than 2 million VND/month. more than 10 million VND from the Ministry of Science and Technology”.

In a developed country like the US, the salary for a PhD is also considered low compared to the national average and low compared to the academic effort of a PhD. Specifically, Mr. Nguyen Anh Hao (doctoral student, lecturer in Chemistry at the University of Washington, USA) said: “The salary of a PhD depends on the basic salary of the city, so there will be many differences. In Seattle, if you have a doctorate and work as a university lecturer, your salary will be about $60,000/year (nearly 1.4 billion VND). For PhDs who choose to work at the company, the salary will fall to about $150,000/year (nearly 3.5 billion VND). Therefore, often lecturers will be people who like to teach or have side jobs”.

Commenting on some objective reasons why many people with doctorate degrees abroad come to Vietnam to work and are “shocked” at the current salary, Mr. Hao said:

“Having a doctorate does not mean there will be more job opportunities, so basically it is still difficult to get a job abroad. In Vietnam, scientific research is still underdeveloped, so many jobs do not require a doctorate (in-depth knowledge). Doctoral students often specialize in only a few small areas, but a lot of time and effort is put in, so there are many cases where people have a doctorate degree but lack the necessary skills when applying for jobs and jobs.

According to Chau Linh