A program coordinator in Vietnam

International development is as much a business as it is a labor of love, and chances are you won’t choose your next assignment based on the money. That said, compensation is an important part of human resources management, and comprehensive data on salaries and benefits is hard to come by. That’s why Devex is shedding light on the salaries and work of those holding jobs that international development organizations commonly hire for. It’s part of our mission to help aid professionals do good and make informed decisions about their careers. Today’s spotlight is on a program coordinator employed by a bilateral donor in Vietnam. - Position title: program coordinator - Seniority: midlevel - Position type: full-time - Year: 2012 - Sample tasks: develop and implement programs, serve as team leader to field staff comprising expatriates and locals - Salary: $3,500 per month - Benefits: $500 rent, $1,000 for retirement program, unemployment insurance, health insurance and reimbursement of school fees Vietnam’s foreign aid job market A lower-middle-income country, Vietnam is considered a development success story. According to the United Nations Development Program, Vietnam has made impressive gains toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals; it has already attained MDG 1 — on eradicating extreme hunger and poverty — and is on track to achieving other goals by 2015. Japan is by far the largest donor to Vietnam. Over the last five years, it has provided $860.35 million annually to Vietnam, as per data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Infrastructure is the top donor-funded sector in the Asian country. Based on ads posted on Devex, aid groups are looking to hire experts in a variety of areas in Vietnam. These include project managers, environment specialists and infrastructure experts. Check out vacancies in Vietnam and for program coordinators. Compensation isn’t everything The details provided in this article were derived from a survey of select development workers stationed in various parts of the globe. Due to the sensitivity of the information, we are keeping the respondents’ identities and organizations confidential. Compensation varies greatly from one job, country or organization to another. Even for the same position, differences in remuneration occur based on educational background, experience and an applicant’s most recent salary, an organization’s need and the sector it operates in, as well as whether it is hiring locally or internationally. Also, some organizations offer more generous benefit packages than others, or they offer perks such as regular travel, training or other career development services that should not be discounted. For senior-level international hires, in particular, benefits such as housing and education allowances often amount to tens of thousands of dollars per year. At the end of the day, aid workers tell us that the chance to help alleviate suffering and lift people out of poverty are well worth any pay cut they may have encountered switching from the private sector. Read more Devex Salary Spotlights!