Brian Jeffrey
Lunar New Year Bonus Highlights for 2025
The Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, Nguyen Van Hoi, revealed that the top Lunar New Year bonus for 2025 will be 1.908 billion VND (approximately $77,000). This substantial reward is designated for a senior executive at a foreign-invested electronics and IT firm located in Ho Chi Minh City.
Overview of Salary Trends and Bonus Predictions
During the government’s press briefing on January 8, Deputy Minister Hoi discussed salary averages and Tet bonus expectations for 2025.
For 2024, the average monthly income stood at about 8.88 million VND ($358), reflecting a 4% rise from 2023’s average of 8.5 million VND ($343).
Salary averages by business type are as follows:
- State-owned companies (fully state capital): 10.91 million VND ($440) per month.
- Private companies: 8.1 million VND ($327) per month.
- Foreign-invested firms: 9.28 million VND ($374) per month.
With the Gregorian New Year occurring close to the Lunar New Year, many businesses prioritized resources for the Tet bonuses.
The average New Year bonus for employees was 1.46 million VND ($59), which is 79% of the previous year’s New Year bonus of 1.85 million VND ($75).
The largest reported New Year bonus was 1.8 billion VND ($72,700), awarded to a senior individual at a foreign-invested wholesale food company in Ho Chi Minh City.
For the Lunar New Year (Tet), the average bonus reached 7.72 million VND ($311), marking a 13% increase compared to 6.85 million VND ($276) in 2024.
The highest Tet bonus was also 1.908 billion VND ($77,000), given to a senior manager at a foreign electronics and IT corporation in Ho Chi Minh City.
Deputy Minister Hoi emphasized that in addition to monetary bonuses, many businesses offer various support measures for workers during Tet, such as:
- Gifts or shopping vouchers for Tet.
- Li xi, or traditional lucky money.
- Transportation or travel allowances for employees returning home.
- Free bus tickets or support for travel costs.
These initiatives are designed to enhance employee satisfaction and allow them to celebrate the holiday season with their families comfortably.
