Key Takeaways:
- Core skills for game programmers in Vietnam include proficiency in C++, C#, and Java, 3D design capabilities, and advanced knowledge in AI and VR. Starting salaries can range from 10 to 20 million VND per month.
- Gaming in Vietnam is attractive because of its young, tech-savvy, and low-cost IT workforce. Join ERA to take an overview of this emerging market and the promising opportunities for foreign investors.
Career Development for IT Professionals in Vietnam’s Gaming Industry
- Skills in Demand:
For aspiring Game Programmers, a solid foundation in many languages in programming, such as Java, C++, and C#, is essential to bring creativity and flexibility to the game development process.
Proficiency in graphic tools like Photoshop, Blender, and Unity allows the programmer to design aesthetically appealing UX and UI to enrich the look and feel of the game.
Along with technical skills, a strong understanding of game mechanics—including gameplay principles, story structure, and possible player interactions—ensures that the game is not only functional but also appealing and intuitive, which is crucial for succeeding in the competitive landscape of gaming in Vietnam.

A glass of game design in Vietnam. Source: znews.vn
Finally, soft skills such as strong analytical and problem-solving skills are needed to be able to develop smooth, realistic movements by characters and to maintain consistent game flow. Effective teamwork and communication will be crucial to collaborating with other departments, including artists and testing departments, in delivering quality products.
- Educational Pathways and Training:
The educational landscape for Game Programmers in Vietnam is diverse, with many professionals holding degrees in Computer Science or Software Engineering. These programs provide essential skills in programming, algorithms, data structures, system design, and problem-solving, all of which are valuable for careers in gaming in Vietnam.
Some Game Programmers also pursue specialized degrees in Game Design or Game Development, which blend technical programming courses with focused topics like level design, scene design, and 3D modeling.

A Vietnamese game developer. Source: giaoducthoidai.vn
In Vietnam, several official institutions offer this relevant training in information technology and game programming: Bach Khoa University, The University of Natural Sciences, and VTC Academy.
- Career Progression and Specializations:
In the Vietnam gaming industry, IT careers often progress from Junior Developer to Project Lead.
Junior Developers start by mastering programming basics and debugging, then move into Senior roles, tackling complex tasks and project planning after about three years. Experienced developers can advance to Lead Developer or Project Manager, where they oversee entire projects and manage teams.
Specialization is also common, with roles in Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and mobile game development.
The skills acquired in gaming development—such as data science, system optimization, and UX design—are also valuable in other tech-driven industries, such as banking, healthcare, or e-commerce.
Qualifications and Pay Rates for IT Professionals in Vietnam
- Required Qualifications for IT Roles in Gaming and Other Sectors:
Here are several notable degrees and certifications recognized for their value in gaming in Vietnam:
- Bachelor of Game Design at RMIT University.
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Games Design and Programming at Staffordshire University.
- Bachelor of Computer Science, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence at Bach Khoa University.
- Game Design & Development Certificate by Microsoft – VTC Game and BKACAD.

A game design lab at the RMIT University. Source: znews.vn
Along with the above academic training, programmers are expected to have experience with software development skills and languages such as PHP, Java, HTML/CSS, and JavaScript, and experience with database management and caching tools such as MySQL, Memcached, and Redis.
Although English is optional to learn how to code in Vietnam, it is a very important prerequisite to have in order to understand technical documentation, development tools, and collaboration with international partners.
- Pay Rates in Vietnam’s Gaming Industry:
Dr. Cao Minh Thang, Deputy Director of the Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Academy of Posts and Telecommunications Technology, explained to the reporters that game design and development positions have a starting salary of VND 10-20 million/month, about USD 400-800.
Salaries rise sharply for those who work for 2-3 years, with programmers reaching up to VND 50 million/month.

Pay rates in Vietnam’s gaming industry. Source: linkpower.vn
However, the 2023-2024 IT Salary Report from ITViec shows that the gaming industry is not among the highest-paid sectors in Vietnam. The top three industries offering the highest average IT salaries can be summarized here: Pharmaceuticals-VND 47.9 million/month, Banking-VND 40.5 million/month, and Finance-VND 38.6 million/month.
The main drivers of salaries game development salary are:
- Experience: This report by ITViec also states that Junior Developers get about VND 19 million per month, whereas Senior Developers with over five years of experience get VND 30 million or more per month.
- Technical Skills: Proficiency in programming languages like JavaScript, Java, and TypeScript is essential, with specialized languages like Go offering higher salary potential.
- Foreign Language Proficiency: Fluency in languages, especially English, enhances salary prospects due to its value in international communication.
- Comparison with Other Countries in Southeast Asia:
Data from Glassdoor shows that IT salaries in Vietnam are generally lower than those in Thailand and comparable to those in Indonesia. Vietnamese IT professionals typically earn an average of USD 593.47 per month, while their Thai counterparts earn USD 1,320.81. In Indonesia, average IT salaries are around USD 538.64 monthly.
Vietnam’s low cost of living and favorable exchange rates with major foreign currencies contribute to its strong labor cost advantage. As a result, Vietnam is emerging as a “small but mighty software outsourcing powerhouse in Asia-Pacific,” driven by its fast-growing tech industry and competitive wages.
Industry-Specific Demand for IT Resources
- Gaming Industry:
At Vietnam GameVerse 2024, Mr. Le Quang Tu Do, Director of the Department of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, highlighted the growth trajectory of the Vietnam gaming industry, setting an ambitious revenue target of $1 billion by 2028.

Vietnam GameVerse 2024. Source: hanoitimes.vn
The authority has been actively promoting campaigns to showcase gaming in Vietnam not only as entertainment but also as a source of talent for eSports, as demonstrated by Vietnam’s achievements in events such as the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).
Mr. Tu Do also emphasized gaming’s value-creating potential, encouraging support for education and careers in gaming fields such as game design, graphics, mobile games, and AI-driven games to bolster startups and expand the industry’s talent base.
- Banking and Finance:
The digitization plan of the banking industry of Vietnam to 2025 and a vision to 2030, stated in Decision No. 810/QD-NHNN, will have skilled IT workers in banks and credit institutions who are well-coordinated and efficient in optimizing business processes and enhancing the experience of customers using digital banking.
State-owned and private Vietnamese banks like Vietcombank and ACB are said to be pursuing quality IT people who are into AI and programming, cybersecurity, big data analysis, and financial technology for the increasing demands in both quality and numbers.

IT initiatives provide customers with a secure and convenient banking experience. Source: vneconomy.vn
- Healthcare:
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has issued numerous directives to accelerate digital transformation in healthcare, including Decision No. 2089/QD-BYT. The initiative to adopt electronic medical records, aiming to phase out paper records between 2023 and 2025, has sparked a demand for cybersecurity experts to safeguard patient data.
To move forward and to ensure proper development of telemedicine applications, there is an emerging strong demand for programmers in the healthcare sectors along with AI specialists so as to increase diagnostic accuracy as well as avoid errors from diagnosis that eventually might lead to wrong or misplaced diseases.

The application of information technology in healthcare. Source: alslogistics.vn
- E-commerce and Retail:
In 2023, E-commerce accounted for 60% of the Vietnamese digital economy. Furthermore, the recently released E-commerce 2024 in Southeast Asia report by Momentum Works identifies Vietnam as one of the rapidly growing markets in Southeast Asia.
Such rapid growth requires large numbers of IT professionals-ranging from front-end and back-end developers to data analysts and cybersecurity gurus-in the optimization of the online shopping experience and guarding of customers’ personal information.

Front-end development in online businesses. Source: novateus.com
Vietnam’s Potential as an IT Talent Hub
- Rising IT Talent Pool in Vietnam:
Young people between the ages of 10 and 24 years made up 21.5% of Vietnam’s population in 2023. Of the total number of 3.99 million gamers, over 60% were in the 18-30 age group. However, of more importance was the success of Nguyen Ha Dong’s “Flappy Bird,” which became an international hit, producing the best gaming talent that Vietnam has to offer.

“Flappy Bird,” a milestone in gaming in Vietnam, was developed by Nguyen Ha Dong. Source: scmp.com
Support from the Vietnamese government is also crucial in nurturing talent in tech. Its IT education system, under the guidance of the Ministry of Education and Training, has recently been reformed and acquired more independence to allow universities to increase enrollment. As many as 80,000 students may graduate each year in IT-related fields.
Add: Labor cost for Vietnam still has an edge when compared with the other countries of this region; the minimum monthly salary of Region 4 is fixed at 3,450,000 VND, which is equivalent to USD 150.
This mix of fresh, technologically skilled youth, support from the government, and low-cost advantage makes Vietnam an attractive destination for offshore software development. It drives the rapid growth of the gaming industry there.
- Challenges and Opportunities in the Gaming Industry:
Gaming in Vietnam faces very stiff competition from established tech hubs across Southeast Asia. To gain global-scale competitiveness, Vietnamese developers need to continue expanding their expertise beyond traditional areas that include graphics processing and game programming into cutting-edge fields such as AI, virtual reality, and data analytics.
Despite all this, the Vietnam gaming industry offers a lot of growth potential. Domestic companies have a young and energetic workforce, as well as substantial governmental support, thus positioning Vietnam as one of the rising leaders in emerging technologies.
For international clients, Vietnam would provide cost-effective yet highly skilled IT talent, making it an attractive destination for game development and IT services outsourced from anywhere in the world.

The Vietnamese market is full of potential with a young, low-cost workforce, but fully trained and quickly grasping new technology. Source: tuoitre.vn
- Client Expectations and Market Potential:
At Vietnam GameVerse 2024, Emily Nguyen, Head of Google Ads Business – Games and Apps Vietnam, said that the app download value is among the top five countries in the whole world, with more than 35,000 game developers standing close to China. Director of Online Game Publishing at VNGGames, Mr. La Xuan Thang, added that several Vietnamese game titles have reached the top 5 in Southeast Asia.
Further proof that this market has huge potential lies in Decree No. 108/2006/ND-CP, which gives vast incentives for investment in the form of a 10% tax rate for 15 years and tax exemption for four years with a following 50% cut for nine years for the encouragement of production in the software industry and digital content.
Recruitment in the IT industries of Vietnam for foreign companies may be complicated and involve lengthy time due to some local regulations and challenges associated with the acquisition of required talent. So, it is better to partner with ERA’s Employment Of Record (EOR) services.
We assume and handle all legal responsibilities on behalf of foreign companies, including payroll, taxes, benefits, and compliance in HR. This will allow companies to quickly build up a skilled workforce in Vietnam or over 100 other countries without having to set up a local entity.
Contact us today to learn how our solution can make global expansion easier!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What skills are most in-demand for IT careers in gaming in Vietnam?
Core skills include proficiency in programming languages such as C++, C#, Unity, 3D modeling, and animation and full knowledge of quality assurance (QA) testing. The demand for expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud technologies that support advanced game development is also increasingly popular.
- What are typical pay rates for IT roles in the gaming industry?
Typical salary ranges for IT positions in Vietnam are around VND 7,000,000-40,500,000 per month. The median salary of a gaming engineer in Vietnam is around VND 17,000,000 per month.
- Which other industries in Vietnam have high demand for IT resources?
All sectors, such as banking, aviation, oil and gas, telecommunications, health care, e-commerce, and fintech in Vietnam, hold tremendous potential for software development and tailored IT solutions since all these industries will have a growing interest in digital technologies and will demand sophisticated IT systems.
Ms. Tracy has worked in human resource consulting for over 15 years. A driven entrepreneur focused on business expansion and people development. She previously worked as Country Manager for an international Australia firm that specializes in global workforce management, as well as several key roles as Business Growth Director and Executive Search Director for both large local firms to effectively drive their business growth. A strong emphasis is placed on aligning organizational priorities/objectives with business needs. She has a large network of local business leaders and a thorough understanding of the local market.