Vietnam boosts pay, bonuses for elite athletes, Olympic gold winners to earn up to $186,500

Deputy Prime Minister Mai Van Chinh signed Decree No. 349 on December 30, 2025, regulating pay and benefits for members of national sports teams, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said on Monday. 

The decree will take effect on February 15.

Under the new rules, an athlete who wins Olympic gold and sets a new Olympic record will receive VND3.5 billion ($133,200) for the gold medal and an additional VND1.4 billion ($53,300) for the record, the ministry said. 

Olympic silver and bronze medalists will receive bonuses of VND2.2 billion ($83,700) and VND1.4 billion, respectively.

The decree also doubles base salaries for national team athletes to about VND14.3 million ($545) per month and raises daily training and competition allowances. 

Head coaches of national teams will earn about VND28.6 million ($1,090) per month, while other national team coaches will receive about VND19.5 million ($740).

Athletes preparing for major events such as the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Asian Games, and Olympic Games will receive higher daily nutrition allowances, with elite medal contenders eligible for up to VND800,000 ($30) per day during training camps.

Vietnam will also sharply increase rewards for medalists at other major competitions, including the Asian Games, SEA Games, Paralympic Games, and youth Olympic events. 

Paralympic gold medalists who break records will be eligible for bonuses of up to VND3.05 billion ($116,055), the decree said.

In addition to prize money, athletes with outstanding achievements will qualify for monthly performance allowances of up to VND40 million ($1,522) for periods of up to four years, depending on their results at the Olympics, Asian Games, or Paralympic Games.

The government said Decree 349 consolidates and replaces several earlier regulations on athlete pay, healthcare, and nutrition, aiming to improve conditions for professional athletes and coaches and strengthen Vietnam's international sporting performance.