Teacher moonlighting in Vietnam and the relationship with salary and satisfaction

Teacher moonlighting, or engaging in supplementary employment alongside teaching responsibilities, is widespread internationally and is frequently motivated by financial necessity. In Vietnam, where educator salaries are very modest, secondary employment is prevalent; however, its correlation with salary satisfaction remains inadequately examined. This study investigated the correlations among salary, salary satisfaction, and the incidence of moonlighting among Vietnamese K12 educators. It also analyzes how financial factors influence teachers' decisions to seek additional work and explores demographic patterns in moonlighting behavior. A mixed-methods approach was utilized, integrating survey data from 869 K12 teachers throughout Vietnam with qualitative insights derived from in-depth interviews with 13 teachers and school administrators. An online survey utilizing the salary satisfaction scale was administered, and the data were analyzed with SPSS version 28.0. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and correlation analysis was performed. Research reveals that instructors' salaries vary from 3.9 to 45 million VND monthly, with a mean of 10.153 million VND. A notable negative association (r = -0.154, p < 0.001) exists between salaries and the propensity for moonlighting, but a weaker positive correlation (r = 0.071, p = 0.035) was identified between salary satisfaction and moonlighting. Moreover, 60% of educators indicated a need for supplementary employment. No significant differences were found in moonlighting tendencies across gender, marital status, school type, or contract type. Financial motivation profoundly impacts moonlighting among educators in Vietnam. Although income increments may diminish the necessity for supplementary employment, contentment with one's salary does not entirely eradicate this requirement. Policymakers want to contemplate compensation reforms, workload modifications, and financial literacy initiatives to increase teachers' financial well-being while preserving educational quality.