Part 1: Market Trends in Salary Increases and Bonuses for 2026

As the Lunar New Year approaches, many companies are entering the period of reviewing and adjusting their compensation and benefits policies for the year ahead.

Reassessing the underlying approach and decision-making principles behind pay and reward strategies is an essential step to ensure alignment with business goals and to enhance their effectiveness.

To support enterprises during this crucial planning stage, ICONIC proudly presents a Special 4-Part Series: “Salary Increase & Bonus Strategy for 2026”

This series focuses on practical issues that management and HR professionals often face before the Tet holiday season, including:

• What are the prevailing market trends for salary increases and bonuses?
• How can organizations design well-founded and sustainable compensation budgets?

Through this initiative, ICONIC aims to provide a structured, evidence-based perspective on how organizations can evaluate and shape their compensation and benefits strategy more effectively.

Part 1: Market Trends in Salary Increases and Bonuses for 2026

Based on the Report on Salary Increase & Bonus Rates in Vietnam 2026 [Detailed version], published by ICONIC on January 6, this article summarizes and analyzes the key market trends in compensation in Vietnam for 2026.

1. Regional and Operational Differences

Survey results show clear differences in how salary increases and bonuses are being adjusted across regions and business types:

• Northern Region:

The manufacturing sector shows higher base salary increases than in the previous year but remains cautious with bonuses. In contrast, non-manufacturing companies are controlling salary increases while compensating with performance bonuses.

In general, bonus reductions compared to the previous year are a common trend in this region.

• Southern Region:

Most companies are limiting both salary and bonus increases compared with 2025. However, exceptions can be found in some manufacturing plants in Dong Nai and Long An, where wage increases are relatively higher.

• Central Region (particularly Da Nang):

The non-manufacturing sector is increasing both salary and bonus budgets, while the manufacturing sector is mainly raising salaries for direct labor positions.

These findings indicate that companies are adopting more flexible compensation adjustment strategies depending on region and business type.

2. Industry-Based Differences

The analysis by industry also shows distinct trends:

• Industries with increasing salary and bonus levels: Automotive, Chemicals - Plastics - Rubber, and Apparel - Footwear.vAlthough the rate of increase varies by job level, the overall trend reflects improved remuneration compared with 2025.
• Industries with limited adjustments: Logistics and Metal sectors tend to take a more conservative approach to both salary and bonus increases. For logistics, this reflects a normalization after a strong increase in 2025.
• Other sectors such as IT, CAD Centers, and Consumer Goods (especially non-manufacturing): These industries are limiting base salary growth but applying flexibility in bonuses to maintain overall competitive total compensation levels.

3. Key Takeaways for Enterprises

When developing salary and bonus plans, companies should not rely solely on market averages or historical data.

Instead, decisions should reflect each organization’s unique context - including region, industry, workforce composition, and job levels.

For deeper, data-driven insights, companies are encouraged to refer to Detailed version of the Salary Increase & Bonus Rates 2026 Report

The report provides detailed data segmented by 11+ regions, 14+ industries, different business operations, and job levels, offering a robust foundation for compensation planning.