For years, people have been sold a dream:

🚀 “Tech is the future!”
💰 “Developers make good money!”
🔓 “Just learn to code, and you’ll be set for life!”

But what if I told you… that’s a lie?

Today, the tech industry isn’t what it used to be.
Especially in Vietnam, where developers are caught in a system that’s rigged against them.

If you’re thinking about starting a career in tech, or you’re already in it and wondering why you feel stuck—keep reading.

The Harsh Reality of Dev Jobs in Vietnam

Let’s take a look at a real job listing:

💀 Salary: 7–15 million VND/month (~$300–$500/month) – in the picture you can see 3 to 6 million VND/month for interns
💀 Full-time: Monday–Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM
💀 Must have 6 months of experience

Sounds decent? Let’s do some basic math.

A standard workweek: 9 hours a day, 45 hours a week
That’s 180+ hours a month

  • $500/month → $2.7/hour
  • $300/month → $1.6/hour

For a tech job—a field that requires months, if not years, of studying.

Meanwhile, the company you’re working for?
They’re charging foreign clients $5,000 for a simple website—
A website that you built in a single evening.

But what do you get?
The price of a cheap buffet meal per hour.

Still think this is a “great career path”?

You Are Replaceable—And That’s The Problem

In Vietnam, software developers aren’t competing with AI.
They’re competing with people who know how to use AI.

1. AI Can Already Code Faster Than You

⚡ ChatGPT can generate 30 websites in a minute
⚡ Debugging AI tools find errors faster than human testers
⚡ WordPress? Pre-made templates.
⚡ No-code tools? Bubble, Webflow, Adalo.
⚡ Game development? Unity drag-and-drop engines.

If speed is all that matters, why do they need you?

2. Clients Pay Based on Perceived Value—Not Skill

This is the placebo effect of business.
The illusion of value.

The best supplement won’t sell for the highest price.
But slap Cristiano Ronaldo’s face on it, and suddenly, it’s worth 10x more.

The same applies to software development.

💀 You can write the cleanest, most efficient code.
💀 But if a no-code tool gets the same result faster, the client doesn’t care.
💀 And that’s why your paycheck is stuck.

💰 Losers get paid by the hour.
💰 Winners get paid for their performance.

(Reference: The Millionaire Fastlane by MJ DeMarco—the rich don’t trade time for money. They trade value.)

And since you get paid like a factory worker, guess what?
You are a factory worker.

And machines get replaced.

The Higher Your Salary, The More Replaceable You Become

You think climbing the corporate ladder makes you safe?
Think again.

Let’s say you grind for years and become a senior developer.

Maybe you’re now earning 50 million VND/month (~$2,000).
Sounds good, right?

Then something happens.

💀 A loved one gets sick in another country.
💀 You need a week off to take care of them.

Do you really think your company will wait for you?

Or do you think they’ll replace you overnight with:

✔ Fresh graduates who are hungrier, faster, and cheaper
✔ Junior devs willing to work overtime for half your paycheck
✔ Developers in India or Pakistan who charge even less

Now you’re screwed.
You worked years to get that salary.

And just like that—you’re back to square one.

Even worse?

If you specialized in VueJS but your new company only uses React?
Congratulations.
Your experience is now irrelevant.

The safe job you thought you had?
It’s now your biggest nightmare.

And while you’re watching your savings drain,
Your boss hires someone new the next morning.

That’s the reality of tech jobs in Vietnam.

So What’s The Solution?

You need to understand one thing:

👎 Coding is a tool.
👎 A job is just a paycheck.
👎 A skill without leverage is just labor.

If you want to escape this trap, you have two options:

🔥 1. Get Remote Work With Foreign Companies

💡 Work with US/EU clients who actually pay you what you’re worth.
💡 Build a strong LinkedIn + GitHub portfolio and market yourself.
💡 Network with clients who pay in dollars—not VND.

🔥 2. Build Your Own Products (SaaS, No-Code, Content)

Instead of coding for someone else, build your own thing.
Even a simple tool that solves one problem can make more than a dev salary.

💡 Learn marketing.
💡 Learn sales.
💡 Learn business.

Because at the end of the day—
You don’t get rich by working for someone else.

You get rich by owning something.

Conclusion: Wake Up Before It’s Too Late

Most developers in Vietnam?
They will never escape.

💀 They’ll work 12-hour shifts for $500/month.
💀 They’ll spend their best years making someone else rich.
💀 They’ll cling to their “safe” job—until the day they get replaced.

And then?

They’ll realize too late that they should’ve left the game years ago.

But you—
You still have a choice.

💀 You can stay in the system, knowing exactly how it ends.
💰 Or you can break free—before it’s too late.

So the question is…

What the hell are you gonna do about it?

Final Words

🚀 Don’t Just Code—Create Leverage

If this post shook you, that’s because it’s the truth. The tech world isn’t what it used to be, and staying in the system won’t save you.

🔗 Explore More from WealthEchos:
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🧠 Mindset: Find tools and resources that make your fitness journey more efficient.
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📚 Check Out My Other Blogs:
🏋️‍♂️ TrainingEchos: Everything about fitness, from nutrition and recovery to martial arts and even recipes.
✨ ElegantEchos: Personal reflections on ambition, relationships, and life’s defining moments.
🧠 MindsetEchos: Actionable tips on productivity, finance, health, and self-care to help you achieve balance.

🌈 Let’s Grow Together!

Connect with me on LinkTree or stay a while here on WealthEchos to dive deeper into life’s big questions. Drop a comment below: What’s your next move? Staying in the system—or creating your own future? 🚀

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Failure Lessons, Mindset,