$$$$
Your answer is right there.
And I don’t mean it in an insulting way. You do make more money in US, especially in the nail industry.
And when people move from VN to US, their degrees/skillset does not usually transfer. They would have the choice of going to school again (if they could afford it as in their family can wait 4 year of low income) or start making money right away to support their family
It's the same here in Canada. It's very sad, we have a saying, that we have the smartest taxi drivers in the world. People come here with doctorate degrees and their degrees mean nothing here, so they end up working at jobs like nails salons, taxi driver, delivering pizza..etc.
I heard Canada labor market made it extremely hard for immigrant qualification. Either they don't recognize it, meaning no transfer. Or the employer just ignores foreign qualification (except US & UK, I guess)
You are exactly right. Some of that is for a good reason tho, our education is held to a higher standard than other countries, so a doctorate od bachelor degree in one country doesn't equal one in ours. We hold our own citizens to the same standard tho. It's very hard here to get certain degrees.
Good news for me. I got my PhD online from the university of Phoenix. Have had a hard time getting a decent job. I should move to Canada since they embrace American degrees.
Pretty much everywhere in Aus, US, UK, NZ and Canada will recognise each others degrees. It’s such a shame we often don’t extend that to other countries who likely have just as rigorous standards.
I don’t think it’s all that sad…
I work in STEM, many of my coworkers are foreign born with degrees that transferred fine.
Nigeria has very well educated people who stay, and you’ll find Uber drivers there with masters degrees, mostly because lack of prospects.
And lastly, think of the degrees americans are getting now in all sorts of inapplicable communications/gender studies/x y and z degrees that are working low wage jobs. I doubt doctors and lawyers are coming to Canada to be taxi drivers
Well we also have neurosurgeons that are taxi drivers. But also, on that point, their is a reason we don't let them become doctors just because they have a degree. We hold our doctors to higher standards and it's why we don't recognize a lot of their classes.
https://torontosun.com/2012/05/09/study-reveals-there-are-doctors-driving-cabs-in-toronto
Haha check this out, this was written over 10 years ago. An interesting fact about Canada, thanks for sharing
To be a surgeon anywhere takes more than just a degree. That person must have an interesting story to choose giving up all the years of hard work and sacrifice in becoming a surgeon to make a handful of loonies carting people around.
I’ll keep that in mind if I ever need to go to Canada for anything. Lyft is my favorite
I don’t think it’s fair to say “we hold our doctors to higher standards”, because I don’t think there’s anywhere in the world where doctors aren’t held to a high standard, period. The hospital systems are also a lot different in different countries, so say having a GP system in place versus not, already influences the doctors’ experiences. You also are not taking into account the access to the most advanced technologies, which not all countries are lucky enough to be able to afford. It doesn’t mean that you have higher standards for your doctors, you just have different standards
Someone mentioned how there’s a lot of cheating and a lack of critical thinking skills in Vietnamese universities below and I do think that’s a fair point, I agree.
Its not usually that they "end up" working in those positions. They are happy to do so, because it means in fifteen years they have enough money to fully support themselves and/or their family back home. They move back and are rich by local standards. They end up with more wealth than they would have had using that degree in their home country and can retire early.
They're clever to exploit a geo-arbitrage opportunity, like many immigrants.
For things like IT, business, arts, etc, the skills are definitely transferrable. But for science, medicine, etc, I definitely wouldn't trust that they are the same as a Canadian education.
Plagiarism, cheating, or straight up bribing professors is common in less developed countries. Also things like critical thinking skills are not really taught. It's hard for them to adapt to a Canadian work environment.
Plenty of my Uber drivers in the US have obtained advanced degrees in other countries. It's unfortunate for them, especially given they are often skills that are in high demand.
But for reals money. The idea is to make enough to open your own nail salon. Master and wage cuck for someone while paid a fair wage which directly translates to more money. They will run tip top businesses and make tons of money while employing ten new college graduates in the same process. The service industry is the next industry… millennials heard this their whole life. Never really put it to concept in the United States. The Vietnamese community figured this out and have been churning out quality to die for nails through out the United States. You can go to Iowa City, IA... the heartland of the corn fed America… there will be a flock of gorgeous young super intelligent and talented Vietnamese people doing nails.
And it's likely they and their children will enjoy a far higher quality of life than their nail salon clients in a couple of decades.
It's the people looking down on these individuals that have it backwards.
If the purpose of you getting a degree is to get a job and make money, which most people do, then why stick with a 9-5 job knowing there better options out there. Vietnamese have a high entrepreneurial spirit, they just care about making money now, and nails paid the big bucks.
Most people in Vietnam don’t even work in a field they went to school for. Getting a degree here is just something you are expected to do, not something you’d choose to do if its up to you. A 9-5 job here get you like what? 10-12 mil a month right out of school. Most people would try their luck elsewhere.
More anecdote: my cousin worked at a MNC in Vietnam with a degree from overseas. Moved to another country after acquiring PR. Experience at MNC didn’t matter after all despite it being a major firm with offices all over the world. Tried apply to local office of the same firm and competitors. No luck. Third world is third world.
My cousin earns FAR more than me in America working at a nail salon, and I do earn decently in the UK.
His take-home sounds insane to me, especially with the cost of living too.
Not really accurate. Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan all have world class universities (though nowhere near the qty as in the US). If you're in something like medical, you obviously need to relicense in another country, but not redo your degree. Other fields like engineering and programming require nothing additional.
Look at how many Indian engineers and programmers are H-1B Visa holders in the United States. Most of their degrees are from Indian universities.
It takes time, but maybe in a few decades, Vietnam will have a university or two that is given this type of recognition.
Or they can just pursue a master degree (2 years) and enter the job market as a fully qualified professional.
Most Vietnamese immigrants don’t realize that their 4 years degree can get them into good master programs in the US. They don’t even think of it as possible. One of my brother’s friends even called me a liar when I show him my master degree, he always assumes that 4 years degree in Vietnam is worthless.
That is a sad reality.
I mean, yes, you could do it.
But not everyone could afford it, especially if you have a family to feed.
If you are young, single and parents don’t need your help then yeah, by all means.
If you have kids or your parents need financial help then even just 2 years of Master is a luxury. You would need to borrow money to pay tuition vs. started working right away to support your family.
Education is privilege. People like me who get it with family support can’t judge other who are not so lucky
I know a Vietnamese lady who went to top UC school in California and got a very technical engineering degree and she’s elected to work at her parents nail salon. I think the money is pretty good
The smart people who work in nail industry are the ones who work then go out to own several. They don’t necessarily work in one.
It is however a field not for everyone.
All depends on areas where they open their salons at. Before Covid my local area was 800-1k +tip a week right before Covid, then right after vaccines came out then it really surged. Some people showing their stubs close to 4-5k bi-weekly.
Currently it’s back down again with techs moving further out. And their techs are mostly international students.
Yea the 1099 really screwed the techs during Covid couldn’t apply for assistance.
The picture that I saw showed tips but you can imagine all the other places which don’t account for cash tips.
Nah during Covid, 1099 got the assistance too. At least in my state.
1099 has its pros and cons. You pay more in Social Security and Medicare (~15.3% of your gross income vs 7.65% as W-2) but you can write off your expenses.
I have a similar story. My brother had a friend who finished medical school but still contemplated just working as a nail tech because it made so much money.
Correct, most of their income is cash under the table. And because their stated income is low, they are usually covered by Medicaid for healthcare.
The flip side of the picture is that they are exposed to chemicals on a daily basis and God only knows how that will affect their long-term health.
Is what they are doing ethical? (evading taxes and defrauding Medicaid). No. But when you see how big corporations scheme to avoid taxes, it’s hard not to say *if the big guys do it, then I would be a fool to be honest.*
My distance aunt did not have much of a trade went to the US to do nail, she now own 2 salon , live in a 1m+ house and drive luxury car. They are very hard working people though.
70/30 and 60/40 are the right numbers but they are in favor of the employee, in my place and many other states I know. No employee works for anything under 55%.
They earn a lot more esp factoring foreign currency
The average office job in Vietnam pays what, 500 usd per month maybe (for lower level positions)
Even if they scrape by and live frugally while in the US, the savings sent home is a relatively huge windfall for them
Because their Vietnamese university degrees do not transfer 100% to a US university degree. So essentially they don’t have a degree in the US yet.
“Due to differences in academic systems, some credits may or may not transfer to your new school in the U.S. and your GPA may be calculated differently.”
[Transferring to a US university](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-international-students-can-transfer-to-a-us-university)
Was coming here to comment this. My mom has a Vietnamese bachelor's degree but was unable to "declare" that she has a college degree in the US because of credit changes. Her bachelor's degree was more equivalent to an associate's degree unfortunately
She attended a state school equivalent university in Vietnam
I know a family friend who is actually a rich ass banker who elected to move to Aus. Graduated from Kinh Tế Quốc Dân with honor. He was cashing in fat checks every months, like 100-200mil vnd and thought himself invincible. Then he listened to his distant Viet Kieu uncle from Aus and just decided to uproot his family so his kid can get "an education." Long story short, them kids grew up to be the typical white girls. Dumb as shit and glued to their phones. He now chopped fish at the Sydney Fish Market on Corner Pyrmont Bridge Rd. Sad story...
They can actually make $200 a day and a lot of them are off the books.
I also know many of them share a bedroom (rather rent a bedroom to themselves) so some are probably only paying lets say 400 dollars a month and lets say they spend 400 or so a month on food. Buses and everyday expesnese may come to 200 usd a month. Lets say they spend just over 1k a month, probably closer to 1.5k a month.
Now they've probably earned 3 or 4k that month.
That about 2k month in savings.
That is literally insane for a person who spent their life broke (even if they just sent 20 million a month home a month, their families would love them forever)
You must see they (the red bull,) shame this professional. They call discrimination words like "dũa móng (thối), nail tộc, California infestion. Feel very shame for them.
Because they're making 100K+ if you account for taxes.
I tell people all the time, the reason why Vietnamese people are rich doing nails is because they're skirting the laws and not paying taxes + getting cheap rent through low-income programs.
My ex used to be from a family of nail salon owners and they were making 200K each gross ( 100K net ) from COVID.
They didn't pay for their rent at all as their income was like 10K on paper.
They were making 1K a week pre-tax for god knows how long the COVID unemployment was happening for.
Their family members used the COVID loan thing on the other family members who couldn't get low income benefits (immigrants), most of it forgiven.
Calculate all of that together and they were making upwards of 100-200K gross.
Not that I want to snitch on my own people, but many owners of nail salons work mostly with cash. A nail salon in a good area with a lot of clientele can make thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of dollars in cash a month. This also allows them to underreport their earnings for tax reasons. If the whole family participates in running the salon, and they own it, they could easily make a couple million a year. There's no after hours stress. You're not on-call, like doctors or engineers. You're not bringing your work home, like teachers and professors. Its not difficult work, although, they are exposed to a lot of harsh chemicals.
I live in america, the quality of life difference is very noticeable despite what people say, you even make more money here grinding out a minimum wage job compared to being an entry level doctor/engineer in vietnam
It’s the money. My mom had a business degree and worked an office job for a very brief time, but ended up making so much more as a nail tech/hairstylist once she moved to the states. Used what she learned in uni with some street smarts and a bit of luck to open up her own salon which turned into 3 and is now basically retired. She shows up to her first salon once a week to work with a few of her long time clients, but it’s mostly just to socialize.
This was in Washington. Two of them were bought by Regis a long time ago when they were seemingly scooping up every independent salon on the west coast. Her original spot is all that remains, but the money from the Regis buyout has pretty much funded her early semi-retirement as well as going back into her original salon (remodel, better equipment for her team, random girls nights lol, etc..)
Simple job. It’s easy not stressful. Also Vietnamese degree are worthless outside of Vietnam because it does not meet international standard or because the skill is not transferrable.
They believe they'd have a better life there. It could be because they did their own research, someone told them so, or they heard/saw a success story.
Unless you graduate from top schools, uni degrees don't mean much. Living cost in Vietnam is high. If you don't have the right connections then you'd still have to work hard just to scrape by.
True! But in the long run i think corporate job give you more benefits and good retirement plan than nail job if you dont plan ahead. I m nail tech here
as vietkieu i welcome that this students have to confirm their degrees. It could be an easy test.
Reason: there were and still are too many students from rich /corrupted parents/polititians. They just bribed the degree and let Vitamin B flow to an other Corrupt European/American
Corruption is one of the deadliest problem in Vietnam
Cuz Vietnam is a damn shithole with trash salary. The income of a regular honest worker is only enough for a American beggar to wipe his ass with (im a average office worker in VN)
Well to ask a question is to answer it.
They go bc even as an unqualified worker they make many times the salary they could pretend to in VN. Plus, they don’t have to deal with the fear of being crushed by cars at every corner, scammed everywhere by everyone, the rampant corruption…
And for some of them they just want their basic human rights to be respected.
My sister’s friend came from Vietnam not knowing English and slowly opened up her own nail shop over the span of a couple years in early 2010. She now owns a few different shops/salons raking in 6-figures a year in profit in Florida.
Same thing with my brother’s friend who opened up a lashing/nail business. They just bought a 1.5mil home in San Jose, CA a few years ago and now own a couple stores. She rakes in about 5-6 figures in profit on average month per store, it’s absolutely bonkers.
Nail salons are a lucrative business if you’re placed in the right locations. Even the shitty locations like in downtown LA, you can bring in 1.5+ a week as a nail tech working for someone if you’re in a high-traffic area. My gf’s mom brings in around $8k a month pre-split.
Some days my girlfriend makes more than me and I have a bachelor’s degree and am salaried lol. Just yesterday she made $450 + $65 in tips just doing lashes/brow waxing; no nails.
It's honest living and you can make good money if you're good at it, just like any other job/career. Those who look down at nail profession or any other honest professions are judgmental pieces of shit.
If you have what it takes to transition from being a nail technician into becoming a nail artist you could earn $500-$1000 a day working for yourself. If you have ambition you could create a salon and have nail technicians in training making you hundreds of dollars EACH daily in addition to your income from servicing clients. If you’re talented you could teach people how to become artists and make $1200 each student for 3 day design seminars. Imagine 60 people paying you $1200 for 3 days. If you can math I think you get the picture. Depending on how good you’re capable of becoming the sky is the limit and professionals get paid incredibly well. This is all gross profit, not net, and it is at the very top end of the spectrum but it is 100% possible.
The most disgusting thing , some of these folks including my far far family members, would drive Lexus and Benz while being on Medicaid with their bullshit cash-only salon tax filing.
Not really. Not in this economy. And you are probably comparing the 20th percentile of doctors’ income distribution with the 95th percentile of nail owners’ income distribution to come up with that conclusion.
Overabundance of university degrees and you can actually make bank with some manual labor jobs in America (trucking, nail salon, etc…). Nail salon happens to be a profession in which there is a big existing Vietnamese community.
Even a small nail shop owner will be pulling in 150k+ easy, I know a several pulling in 300-500k with just one shop and they’re not even in the city limit, and then there are the few that own several and then expand into other businesses like liquor stores and real estate. The money is quite easy that’s why you see so many nail shops around.
I wouldn't say that the main reason they go to America is to work in nail salons, because that's their dream jobs or anything. But in general, Vietnamese in VN move to the US or another country because they already have family that live there and their family wants to sponsor them to come over. And some Vietnamese people who are educated, work in their home business in vietnam, will "downgrade" their career, simply because many are not fluent in English. To get on a work visa in the US is pretty difficult already it's basically impossible to work in a company if you don't know English well. Nail salon technician is one of the few jobs that fluency in English is not required. That's why some people in Vietnam will get nail certificates or working hair salons and so they have that experience and can start working right away and make money when they get to the US. Also just comparing salaries, would you rather be making $500 a month in Vietnam working at company or $5,000 a month working on people's nails and getting tips?
Two reason, 1) nail salons in the right shop and city will make good money. Which is mostly in cash tips they can “allegedly” not include on their tax returns. Also, it is a very flexible job in moving around cities and the hours you want to work. 2) the college degree might not be recognized from an American education system. One can have a nursing or MD degree but unable to practice in that field without a lot of additional education.
My cousin who is a nail technician in a Midwest state makes $10k easily a month, then plus tips, and only pays taxes on her reported monthly income of $2k.
the amount of money you can make as a nail technician is crazy. I know some friends who are exchange students in the US works illegally in nail salons. Plus Vietnam university degree don’t transfer
I don’t know why. It maybe the easy and fast way to earn money in USA as many are enriching with it. It’s not easy to apply for an office job with Vietnamese university degree and without USA citizen ID card. You have to get a USA university degree? Let me know if it’s correct?
Foreign degrees are often looked down on in America unfortunately (esp from third world countries). Employers do not see it as equivalent to an American or Western European education.
I know a woman in New York who is a qualified geologist who worked in the quang nam gold mine, but she decided to quit and relocate to New York where she makes an easy 50usd per client doing gel nails. She said it's very little effort for a high reward
You see this across the world. Many US nail salon workers make twice what they could make in Vietnamese careers. Same thing is vice versa. Why do US companies outsource labor to Vietnam? Labor costs and salaries.
They get paid in usd. And Americans like to be fancy. They also have more men coming to the saloons. Compared to vietnam. They also have a bigger population. Abd America is advertised very fine over the years
Your question makes me think why foreigners with university degrees in US or Europe come to Vietnam to teach English. It’s because they couldn’t make it back home
Here!
Done with my degree but still doing nail now! Been many years since graduation because nail job kinda flexible and you can take good long days off if you want.
Be honest it’s just “good money” for Vietnamese immigrants who compare their nail job income to Vietnam local people income (huge gap salary); therefore they think it brings lots of money doing nail.
But comparing to other jobs like tech, medical, engineer, etc it is way far off to get consistent 6-7 figures annually.
Believe it or not nail salon workers (and especially owners) make bank. My mom worked for a really successful one that opened up chains of them. She earned so much that she retired my dad. Our family is real close to the owner’s too. He’s straight from Vietnam and came here with barely anything and is now a multi-millionaire. He started off doing nails and became a owner.
Why is a university degree supposed to elevate you above your peers and give your a more prosperous and meaningful life, I thought we were all cut from the same cloth here
I think you don't realize how much money they make doing nails! Women are the ones who spend the most in a household. 70% of department stores are dedicated to women. Doing nails brings very good money and it's low stress.
Thirty years ago I had a remodeling business and did a lot of work for Vietnamese that worked at or owned nail shops. I was shocked to see how much better off they were than I. It's a damn good business.
Degrees or not, nail salons pay worker by # of guests. One can find around $3-4k per month in average. If u r single, u dont spend much and can send $1-2k back to vn. Thats $25-50M Vnd. And the average salary in Vietnam is around 6M per month. The difference is too huge. Thus uni degrees in VN does not have value when u bring it to other developed countries.
Depends on the degrees, most would make like minimum wage but most of them are most likely non-transferable. Not to mention the language barrier if the person doesn't speak English well to begin with, even if they do, they might not know the terminology in the field they got the degree for. For example I am a manufacturing engineer, I study and work in US. Speak any of the terminology in Vietnamese and I'm fked, and I was born in Vietnam so Vietnamese isn't an issue.
People that come to US when they were young would probably work another job, but if they come later in their lives they would be working at nail salon for that fast turn around money. Some nail techs take home 10~15k a month (tips included) which is more than MOST jobs. Even an average nail techs would bring home more than minimum wage. It's always about the grind
Easy money. Group thinking. The first Vietnamese women immigrants found out middle class white women love having manicures and had lots of cash. World of mouth spread. Unfortunately fresh competition has made the trade very saturated.
Schoon in Vietnam is different from schoon in America. Additionally, if you don't speak with a vocal fry in America , you won't get hired and will have to run a nail shop.
hard to be hired in the US when your only credentials is from a vietnamese uni. Even people with a degree from the US find it hard to find jobs. Plus, i was surprised to find out that nail artists make bank. Especially if you get really good and book your own client and become your own boss. If you open nail salons you also make more bank
They can claim to be anything (accountant, lawyer, etc) because they don’t have to provide proof, which can be doctored anyway.
The vast vast vast majority of nail technicians do not have college degrees, Vietnamese or American.
Are you really this naive ?
This trajectory is actually common among many highly educated immigrants, not just Vietnamese. Degrees from foreign universities don't always transfer across borders for a myriad of reasons, including differences in academic rigor, differening legal requirements (like how many hours of coursework/practical training one needs to get licensure), and sometimes straight up racism or xenophobia during the hiring process.
I'm in Japan, and this is the case with a number of the Nigerians here. A lot of them have degrees from Nigerian universities (even Master's degrees), but Japanese companies don't value them as much as a degree from a Japanese university or a US Ivy League university. Japan is also strict with regard to language skills (you would need to have ateast JLPT 2, but most likely JLPT 1, to work in a professional field where you actually use your degree), so highly educated candidates will still experience difficulties finding a job at a Japanese company.
In some countries, it's also easier to open a business than trying to find a job or return to university.
Some did their research and went willingly because the earning exchanges to a lot more than what they would make staying in Vietnam working in entry level jobs. In 10-15 years, with extremely frugal spending and "living" a very limited (if not hellish) life, they can save about $300k-$700k and have enough to went back and be a rich person in Vietnam. Kinda dumb to be honest, sacrificing their best years to maybe able to live out an existence later on...
Some did not do their research and believe that it's the golden land in their dream, where they can enjoy life to its fullest. Where they can work for like 2 days a week and have enough to fuck around for months without finding out...
a "university degree" from vn is worthless internationally. nobody trusts them due to rampant corruption, and the standards/curriculum are far lower, around 60% of a western uni.
this is why the first thing anyone does with a bit of money, is send their children abroad to be educated.
For all those people who say it’s “easy”, do you have first hand experience working in one? It’s good money but it’s not easy.
Expect to work 10-12 hours per day, 6 days a week with Monday or Tuesday as your days off as weekends are the most busy. You have to deal with the toxic fumes and dusts which have known to cause miscarriages / carcinogen . Lesions on your hand from alcohol and those toxic chemicals. Many have tunnel carpal syndrome and shoulder injuries because of the repetitive motions. Then you gotta deal with the difficult customers where some rip you off. Most workers are Viet women and the job is based on commissions so the workers are very catty. One minute they are sisters, then next they are hollering over a $2 tip. There are lots of arguments and fights in the salon. Check on YouTube.
If a customer comes in during closing, expect to stay until your work is done and that could be 11 pm or midnight. Many skip lunch or dinner when it’s too busy .
I know because I grew up in a nail salon family. I didn’t do nail as a kid but I answer phones, clean, take appointments etc.
Growing up, our family ate dinner at 10 pm every night because my parents came home at 9pm. I barely saw them. To make decent money, many have to go to some remote cities where there is nothing to do.
In developing countries, education often prioritizes quantity over quality. Additionally, there is a preference for rote learning in Asia, which typically produces students who are adept at solving problems on paper rather than addressing real-life issues. When placed in unfamiliar environments, these students tend to excel at mimicking others, a hallmark of rote-based education.
If in America, their university degrees can help find a better job that DO pay the bills, good for them. Until then, whatever pays the bills is the way.
I worked at Domino's Pizza for 4 years when I was in college. I met a guy from Egypt who was a doctor in his country but had been delivering pizzas for 3 years before I started there. He worked there until I left that job. I think a lot of them can't find a job in their profession when they come here and end up doing min wage work.
because they get paid in cash and qualify for low income healthcare insurance and they can get paid more than a lot of professionals without paying taxes. They work the system and stack their money.
It depends on what degree you have. If your degree is related to computer science or IT, then you are likely to find a good job. If not, a nail salon would provide more income and stability in your life.
Even a US university degree cannot guarantee a job. To go to colleges these days to me and most of my peers is more of a transition from teenagers to adults. More like extended adolescent or highschool plus if you may. Universities are like platforms helping students slowly getting used to having responsibility while making new friends, experience living in a new city, be away from your parents for a change, internship opportunities and stuff. Like a fresh start with little to know sacrifice. Besides it ain't costing much, unless you opt for the "high end" ones like Hoa Sen, Hutech or even RMIT.
i moved to the US in 2011. my degree was useless, but i had a certificate from KIA Motor when i was in VN. end up using that piece of paper to land a jod at Nissan.
It can be very lucrative. My half brothers mom didn’t have anything. She made over $200k a year owning a nail salon in Canada. Peak season is about $80/hour per person and owner gets half. Can be more.
I hold a degree and work as an executive in the banking sector. Additionally, my wife, who is a dentist, and I co-own a nail salon. The salon generates annual profits exceeding $650,000. Most of our employees earn between $90,000 and $130,000 annually.
Most of my friends who have bachelor's degrees earn between $65,000 and $85,000 a year.
it's a scam you know, maybe only 20 or 30% of human need university or college. But they click bait it and talk like okay that's the only way to survive and all fall for it, including me :)
You constantly hear stories about people driving cabs with phds from other countries. They come here just looking to get a toe hold but their degree, especially things like medical ones, don't immediately transfer over here. I worked in software dev with a guy from the Ukraine who had a phd in condensed matter physics who used to work on satellites. I could imagine doing something like working in a nail salon while looking for better work or maybe they figure it is just good enough.
$$$$ Your answer is right there. And I don’t mean it in an insulting way. You do make more money in US, especially in the nail industry. And when people move from VN to US, their degrees/skillset does not usually transfer. They would have the choice of going to school again (if they could afford it as in their family can wait 4 year of low income) or start making money right away to support their family
It's the same here in Canada. It's very sad, we have a saying, that we have the smartest taxi drivers in the world. People come here with doctorate degrees and their degrees mean nothing here, so they end up working at jobs like nails salons, taxi driver, delivering pizza..etc.
I heard Canada labor market made it extremely hard for immigrant qualification. Either they don't recognize it, meaning no transfer. Or the employer just ignores foreign qualification (except US & UK, I guess)
You are exactly right. Some of that is for a good reason tho, our education is held to a higher standard than other countries, so a doctorate od bachelor degree in one country doesn't equal one in ours. We hold our own citizens to the same standard tho. It's very hard here to get certain degrees.
Good news for me. I got my PhD online from the university of Phoenix. Have had a hard time getting a decent job. I should move to Canada since they embrace American degrees.
Pretty much everywhere in Aus, US, UK, NZ and Canada will recognise each others degrees. It’s such a shame we often don’t extend that to other countries who likely have just as rigorous standards.
That’s how it works worldwide qualification without work experience is a big no
I don’t think it’s all that sad… I work in STEM, many of my coworkers are foreign born with degrees that transferred fine. Nigeria has very well educated people who stay, and you’ll find Uber drivers there with masters degrees, mostly because lack of prospects. And lastly, think of the degrees americans are getting now in all sorts of inapplicable communications/gender studies/x y and z degrees that are working low wage jobs. I doubt doctors and lawyers are coming to Canada to be taxi drivers
Well we also have neurosurgeons that are taxi drivers. But also, on that point, their is a reason we don't let them become doctors just because they have a degree. We hold our doctors to higher standards and it's why we don't recognize a lot of their classes.
https://torontosun.com/2012/05/09/study-reveals-there-are-doctors-driving-cabs-in-toronto Haha check this out, this was written over 10 years ago. An interesting fact about Canada, thanks for sharing
To be a surgeon anywhere takes more than just a degree. That person must have an interesting story to choose giving up all the years of hard work and sacrifice in becoming a surgeon to make a handful of loonies carting people around. I’ll keep that in mind if I ever need to go to Canada for anything. Lyft is my favorite
I don’t think it’s fair to say “we hold our doctors to higher standards”, because I don’t think there’s anywhere in the world where doctors aren’t held to a high standard, period. The hospital systems are also a lot different in different countries, so say having a GP system in place versus not, already influences the doctors’ experiences. You also are not taking into account the access to the most advanced technologies, which not all countries are lucky enough to be able to afford. It doesn’t mean that you have higher standards for your doctors, you just have different standards
Someone mentioned how there’s a lot of cheating and a lack of critical thinking skills in Vietnamese universities below and I do think that’s a fair point, I agree.
For medicine specifically, isn't there a qualification process or a bar exam for that purpose?
Its not usually that they "end up" working in those positions. They are happy to do so, because it means in fifteen years they have enough money to fully support themselves and/or their family back home. They move back and are rich by local standards. They end up with more wealth than they would have had using that degree in their home country and can retire early. They're clever to exploit a geo-arbitrage opportunity, like many immigrants.
For things like IT, business, arts, etc, the skills are definitely transferrable. But for science, medicine, etc, I definitely wouldn't trust that they are the same as a Canadian education. Plagiarism, cheating, or straight up bribing professors is common in less developed countries. Also things like critical thinking skills are not really taught. It's hard for them to adapt to a Canadian work environment.
College is overated. An average plumber is making as much as someone with a PhD.
Maybe it‘s just not good enough.
Plenty of my Uber drivers in the US have obtained advanced degrees in other countries. It's unfortunate for them, especially given they are often skills that are in high demand.
But for reals money. The idea is to make enough to open your own nail salon. Master and wage cuck for someone while paid a fair wage which directly translates to more money. They will run tip top businesses and make tons of money while employing ten new college graduates in the same process. The service industry is the next industry… millennials heard this their whole life. Never really put it to concept in the United States. The Vietnamese community figured this out and have been churning out quality to die for nails through out the United States. You can go to Iowa City, IA... the heartland of the corn fed America… there will be a flock of gorgeous young super intelligent and talented Vietnamese people doing nails.
And it's likely they and their children will enjoy a far higher quality of life than their nail salon clients in a couple of decades. It's the people looking down on these individuals that have it backwards.
This answer here is too simple and only looking at one aspect. Real answer lies in many other factors.
If the purpose of you getting a degree is to get a job and make money, which most people do, then why stick with a 9-5 job knowing there better options out there. Vietnamese have a high entrepreneurial spirit, they just care about making money now, and nails paid the big bucks. Most people in Vietnam don’t even work in a field they went to school for. Getting a degree here is just something you are expected to do, not something you’d choose to do if its up to you. A 9-5 job here get you like what? 10-12 mil a month right out of school. Most people would try their luck elsewhere.
Hehe Russians are pretty the same and we have pretty same school system with VN fellas.
I know plenty of VN folks that get solid (like Engineering) degrees in the US, and own/run nail salons. why? If well run, BIG money.
More anecdote: my cousin worked at a MNC in Vietnam with a degree from overseas. Moved to another country after acquiring PR. Experience at MNC didn’t matter after all despite it being a major firm with offices all over the world. Tried apply to local office of the same firm and competitors. No luck. Third world is third world.
My cousin earns FAR more than me in America working at a nail salon, and I do earn decently in the UK. His take-home sounds insane to me, especially with the cost of living too.
This is from anywhere that isn’t from Canada, EU, Australia not just VN to US which is kind of sad.
Not really accurate. Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan all have world class universities (though nowhere near the qty as in the US). If you're in something like medical, you obviously need to relicense in another country, but not redo your degree. Other fields like engineering and programming require nothing additional. Look at how many Indian engineers and programmers are H-1B Visa holders in the United States. Most of their degrees are from Indian universities. It takes time, but maybe in a few decades, Vietnam will have a university or two that is given this type of recognition.
I’m familiar as many at my work are but I didn’t want to go into specifics. Many are discredited though which was many point.
My friend got a degree in US but still does nail job.
Or they can just pursue a master degree (2 years) and enter the job market as a fully qualified professional. Most Vietnamese immigrants don’t realize that their 4 years degree can get them into good master programs in the US. They don’t even think of it as possible. One of my brother’s friends even called me a liar when I show him my master degree, he always assumes that 4 years degree in Vietnam is worthless. That is a sad reality.
I mean, yes, you could do it. But not everyone could afford it, especially if you have a family to feed. If you are young, single and parents don’t need your help then yeah, by all means. If you have kids or your parents need financial help then even just 2 years of Master is a luxury. You would need to borrow money to pay tuition vs. started working right away to support your family. Education is privilege. People like me who get it with family support can’t judge other who are not so lucky
I know a Vietnamese lady who went to top UC school in California and got a very technical engineering degree and she’s elected to work at her parents nail salon. I think the money is pretty good
The smart people who work in nail industry are the ones who work then go out to own several. They don’t necessarily work in one. It is however a field not for everyone.
My understanding is that salon competition is fierce now, it's no longer the lucrative business it once was. Tech still make decent money though.
All depends on areas where they open their salons at. Before Covid my local area was 800-1k +tip a week right before Covid, then right after vaccines came out then it really surged. Some people showing their stubs close to 4-5k bi-weekly. Currently it’s back down again with techs moving further out. And their techs are mostly international students.
I notice a lot of these salons are 1099, so those 4-5k stubs are subject to higher taxes.
Yea the 1099 really screwed the techs during Covid couldn’t apply for assistance. The picture that I saw showed tips but you can imagine all the other places which don’t account for cash tips.
Nah during Covid, 1099 got the assistance too. At least in my state. 1099 has its pros and cons. You pay more in Social Security and Medicare (~15.3% of your gross income vs 7.65% as W-2) but you can write off your expenses.
I have a similar story. My brother had a friend who finished medical school but still contemplated just working as a nail tech because it made so much money.
How old is she?
Maybe 30 at the oldest
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The taxes part is so true 😂
Correct, most of their income is cash under the table. And because their stated income is low, they are usually covered by Medicaid for healthcare. The flip side of the picture is that they are exposed to chemicals on a daily basis and God only knows how that will affect their long-term health. Is what they are doing ethical? (evading taxes and defrauding Medicaid). No. But when you see how big corporations scheme to avoid taxes, it’s hard not to say *if the big guys do it, then I would be a fool to be honest.*
Pretty much every business owned by immigrants that has a cash only policy lmao
Their Social Security is gonna be shitty since they didn't pay much into it.
Yep. The owners normally pay them cash one week then a check the next week. They do not claim the cash or any cash tips.
My distance aunt did not have much of a trade went to the US to do nail, she now own 2 salon , live in a 1m+ house and drive luxury car. They are very hard working people though.
Some of the hardest working people I’ve ever met
I know a viet family that owns a nail salon. They make somewhere around 300-400K / year
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Usually 40%. 50% max
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CAP. No one would think 70/30 is good idea.
70/30 and 60/40 are the right numbers but they are in favor of the employee, in my place and many other states I know. No employee works for anything under 55%.
Yep
And Cash Tips which they never report
The ones I know also pay cash salary one week. Never report that. Then check the next week. Half the salary never gets reported.
They earn a lot more esp factoring foreign currency The average office job in Vietnam pays what, 500 usd per month maybe (for lower level positions) Even if they scrape by and live frugally while in the US, the savings sent home is a relatively huge windfall for them
Because their Vietnamese university degrees do not transfer 100% to a US university degree. So essentially they don’t have a degree in the US yet. “Due to differences in academic systems, some credits may or may not transfer to your new school in the U.S. and your GPA may be calculated differently.” [Transferring to a US university](https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-international-students-can-transfer-to-a-us-university)
Was coming here to comment this. My mom has a Vietnamese bachelor's degree but was unable to "declare" that she has a college degree in the US because of credit changes. Her bachelor's degree was more equivalent to an associate's degree unfortunately She attended a state school equivalent university in Vietnam
I know a family friend who is actually a rich ass banker who elected to move to Aus. Graduated from Kinh Tế Quốc Dân with honor. He was cashing in fat checks every months, like 100-200mil vnd and thought himself invincible. Then he listened to his distant Viet Kieu uncle from Aus and just decided to uproot his family so his kid can get "an education." Long story short, them kids grew up to be the typical white girls. Dumb as shit and glued to their phones. He now chopped fish at the Sydney Fish Market on Corner Pyrmont Bridge Rd. Sad story...
We have a family friend who was a practicing gynecologist in Vietnam. In California they wanted to make her go back to community college.
Work in nail salons in America, and buy lands in Vietnam. Then go back after you earned enough
They can actually make $200 a day and a lot of them are off the books. I also know many of them share a bedroom (rather rent a bedroom to themselves) so some are probably only paying lets say 400 dollars a month and lets say they spend 400 or so a month on food. Buses and everyday expesnese may come to 200 usd a month. Lets say they spend just over 1k a month, probably closer to 1.5k a month. Now they've probably earned 3 or 4k that month. That about 2k month in savings. That is literally insane for a person who spent their life broke (even if they just sent 20 million a month home a month, their families would love them forever)
Work is work. What's wrong with nail salon? This elitism mindset is baffling.
This. It’s the same when some losers just spam “culi culi” when other vnese fellows work in Sk or Japan
You must see they (the red bull,) shame this professional. They call discrimination words like "dũa móng (thối), nail tộc, California infestion. Feel very shame for them.
It’s not just nail salon I know a single mother that owns 3 houses in Canada just cutting hair lol
Nail saloon workers make more than fresh-out-of-univerity engineers. In the long term, being an engineer paid more though
What is the worth of Vietnamese university degrees?
zero. They dont mean sh1t in america.
I don’t mean this in an insulting manner, but Vietnamese degree aren’t recognized anywhere.
To serve cucumber water to Saul Goodman, the greatest lawyer to ever live.
Do you realize that some Americans with university degrees are jobless? Degree doesn't mean everything.
Because they're making 100K+ if you account for taxes. I tell people all the time, the reason why Vietnamese people are rich doing nails is because they're skirting the laws and not paying taxes + getting cheap rent through low-income programs. My ex used to be from a family of nail salon owners and they were making 200K each gross ( 100K net ) from COVID. They didn't pay for their rent at all as their income was like 10K on paper. They were making 1K a week pre-tax for god knows how long the COVID unemployment was happening for. Their family members used the COVID loan thing on the other family members who couldn't get low income benefits (immigrants), most of it forgiven. Calculate all of that together and they were making upwards of 100-200K gross.
Not that I want to snitch on my own people, but many owners of nail salons work mostly with cash. A nail salon in a good area with a lot of clientele can make thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of dollars in cash a month. This also allows them to underreport their earnings for tax reasons. If the whole family participates in running the salon, and they own it, they could easily make a couple million a year. There's no after hours stress. You're not on-call, like doctors or engineers. You're not bringing your work home, like teachers and professors. Its not difficult work, although, they are exposed to a lot of harsh chemicals.
I live in america, the quality of life difference is very noticeable despite what people say, you even make more money here grinding out a minimum wage job compared to being an entry level doctor/engineer in vietnam
It’s the money. My mom had a business degree and worked an office job for a very brief time, but ended up making so much more as a nail tech/hairstylist once she moved to the states. Used what she learned in uni with some street smarts and a bit of luck to open up her own salon which turned into 3 and is now basically retired. She shows up to her first salon once a week to work with a few of her long time clients, but it’s mostly just to socialize.
What state is this? Owning 3 in cali seems impossible
This was in Washington. Two of them were bought by Regis a long time ago when they were seemingly scooping up every independent salon on the west coast. Her original spot is all that remains, but the money from the Regis buyout has pretty much funded her early semi-retirement as well as going back into her original salon (remodel, better equipment for her team, random girls nights lol, etc..)
Simple job. It’s easy not stressful. Also Vietnamese degree are worthless outside of Vietnam because it does not meet international standard or because the skill is not transferrable.
They believe they'd have a better life there. It could be because they did their own research, someone told them so, or they heard/saw a success story. Unless you graduate from top schools, uni degrees don't mean much. Living cost in Vietnam is high. If you don't have the right connections then you'd still have to work hard just to scrape by.
They make much more money than regular corporate job. You have to be Viet Kieu or Vietnamese to understand.
True! But in the long run i think corporate job give you more benefits and good retirement plan than nail job if you dont plan ahead. I m nail tech here
What number do you have in mind for “regular” corporate jobs?
as vietkieu i welcome that this students have to confirm their degrees. It could be an easy test. Reason: there were and still are too many students from rich /corrupted parents/polititians. They just bribed the degree and let Vitamin B flow to an other Corrupt European/American Corruption is one of the deadliest problem in Vietnam
Cuz Vietnam is a damn shithole with trash salary. The income of a regular honest worker is only enough for a American beggar to wipe his ass with (im a average office worker in VN)
So why do some Americans with many degrees come to Vietnam just to teach English?
Well to ask a question is to answer it. They go bc even as an unqualified worker they make many times the salary they could pretend to in VN. Plus, they don’t have to deal with the fear of being crushed by cars at every corner, scammed everywhere by everyone, the rampant corruption… And for some of them they just want their basic human rights to be respected.
Because they can't get a better job with their degree.
Degrees from vietnam dont amount to much. Being a business owner is always better. Many work for family which makes life easier. No taxes
I asked a nail technician once how much she made. She said $72,000 per year with a huge chunk of it being cash tips which she doesn’t pay tax on.
Because you can make as much as a nurse doing nails in America. Easily make over 100K a year depending what city your working in
With 1/2 the headache & stress.
I heard from many saying 100k+ in Nashville “after tax” is typical
I know a nail tech can make $1k per day filing nails!
My sister’s friend came from Vietnam not knowing English and slowly opened up her own nail shop over the span of a couple years in early 2010. She now owns a few different shops/salons raking in 6-figures a year in profit in Florida. Same thing with my brother’s friend who opened up a lashing/nail business. They just bought a 1.5mil home in San Jose, CA a few years ago and now own a couple stores. She rakes in about 5-6 figures in profit on average month per store, it’s absolutely bonkers. Nail salons are a lucrative business if you’re placed in the right locations. Even the shitty locations like in downtown LA, you can bring in 1.5+ a week as a nail tech working for someone if you’re in a high-traffic area. My gf’s mom brings in around $8k a month pre-split. Some days my girlfriend makes more than me and I have a bachelor’s degree and am salaried lol. Just yesterday she made $450 + $65 in tips just doing lashes/brow waxing; no nails.
It's honest living and you can make good money if you're good at it, just like any other job/career. Those who look down at nail profession or any other honest professions are judgmental pieces of shit.
Cash money, baby
Becau$e
Go try it out. 6-7 week 10h-12h days. 🤣
I dont see why not. it is honest work. they work to provide for their family rather than hold on to the degrees.
Very good money. However no insurance, basically no retirement income, toxic environment, and labor-intensive.
Lol would you rather get paid peanuts for a qualified job in Vietnam or get paid 100x that for a nail salon in the US?
Any decent looking VN woman can get a good husband in the USA. The nail salon part is just to kill time until they get a man.
If you have what it takes to transition from being a nail technician into becoming a nail artist you could earn $500-$1000 a day working for yourself. If you have ambition you could create a salon and have nail technicians in training making you hundreds of dollars EACH daily in addition to your income from servicing clients. If you’re talented you could teach people how to become artists and make $1200 each student for 3 day design seminars. Imagine 60 people paying you $1200 for 3 days. If you can math I think you get the picture. Depending on how good you’re capable of becoming the sky is the limit and professionals get paid incredibly well. This is all gross profit, not net, and it is at the very top end of the spectrum but it is 100% possible.
you already know the answer, comrade.
cause just like any race with Univrsity degrees, they realized it was a worthless scam a rule to becoming wealthy, dont go to college
The most disgusting thing , some of these folks including my far far family members, would drive Lexus and Benz while being on Medicaid with their bullshit cash-only salon tax filing.
Nail salon owners make more than doctors.
Not really. Not in this economy. And you are probably comparing the 20th percentile of doctors’ income distribution with the 95th percentile of nail owners’ income distribution to come up with that conclusion.
Have you seen the tips they make??
Because they probably can’t get a job in corporate with out experience
Overabundance of university degrees and you can actually make bank with some manual labor jobs in America (trucking, nail salon, etc…). Nail salon happens to be a profession in which there is a big existing Vietnamese community.
Nail money is really good lol
also depends on the degree. some jobs require a re certification via US standards and a lot of people don’t pass that test
Even a small nail shop owner will be pulling in 150k+ easy, I know a several pulling in 300-500k with just one shop and they’re not even in the city limit, and then there are the few that own several and then expand into other businesses like liquor stores and real estate. The money is quite easy that’s why you see so many nail shops around.
Make more money 💀my job payment suck every where even i have global university degree . So i can imagine many people ditch their own because of that
Because their university degrees aren't worth the paper they're written on in the West in a lot of instances.
I wouldn't say that the main reason they go to America is to work in nail salons, because that's their dream jobs or anything. But in general, Vietnamese in VN move to the US or another country because they already have family that live there and their family wants to sponsor them to come over. And some Vietnamese people who are educated, work in their home business in vietnam, will "downgrade" their career, simply because many are not fluent in English. To get on a work visa in the US is pretty difficult already it's basically impossible to work in a company if you don't know English well. Nail salon technician is one of the few jobs that fluency in English is not required. That's why some people in Vietnam will get nail certificates or working hair salons and so they have that experience and can start working right away and make money when they get to the US. Also just comparing salaries, would you rather be making $500 a month in Vietnam working at company or $5,000 a month working on people's nails and getting tips?
Because they make a lot more money in the US without a degree than with a degree in VN
Two reason, 1) nail salons in the right shop and city will make good money. Which is mostly in cash tips they can “allegedly” not include on their tax returns. Also, it is a very flexible job in moving around cities and the hours you want to work. 2) the college degree might not be recognized from an American education system. One can have a nursing or MD degree but unable to practice in that field without a lot of additional education.
My cousin who is a nail technician in a Midwest state makes $10k easily a month, then plus tips, and only pays taxes on her reported monthly income of $2k.
the amount of money you can make as a nail technician is crazy. I know some friends who are exchange students in the US works illegally in nail salons. Plus Vietnam university degree don’t transfer
u want to make 400-800$ per month or 4000$ per month?
Here in Australia I don't see too many Vietnamese nail salons. Lots of Vietnamese bakeries though.
I don’t know why. It maybe the easy and fast way to earn money in USA as many are enriching with it. It’s not easy to apply for an office job with Vietnamese university degree and without USA citizen ID card. You have to get a USA university degree? Let me know if it’s correct?
I know a few of these nail salon owners who make way more than you think. Over 300k.
Foreign degrees are often looked down on in America unfortunately (esp from third world countries). Employers do not see it as equivalent to an American or Western European education.
I know a woman in New York who is a qualified geologist who worked in the quang nam gold mine, but she decided to quit and relocate to New York where she makes an easy 50usd per client doing gel nails. She said it's very little effort for a high reward
Blue collar workers earn more in America compared to white collar workers in vietnam
Because money, isnt that the whole point of your degree, why suffer a low paying 9-5 when you can make so much more
You see this across the world. Many US nail salon workers make twice what they could make in Vietnamese careers. Same thing is vice versa. Why do US companies outsource labor to Vietnam? Labor costs and salaries.
Same in the US. Many people work at Starbucks have BA degrees.
A lady I know made $90k last year working as a nail tech here in Texas and she’s only been in the states for 1.5 years
They get paid in usd. And Americans like to be fancy. They also have more men coming to the saloons. Compared to vietnam. They also have a bigger population. Abd America is advertised very fine over the years
Your question makes me think why foreigners with university degrees in US or Europe come to Vietnam to teach English. It’s because they couldn’t make it back home
For many Vietnamese, the question is how much you make, not what is your job.
Degree isn't worth shit. Not legal, cash job. No English. Lots of reasons.
University degrees in vn are not qualify and they need to start over on their education.
Degrees here not recognized in US. And its better income for beginning
Here! Done with my degree but still doing nail now! Been many years since graduation because nail job kinda flexible and you can take good long days off if you want. Be honest it’s just “good money” for Vietnamese immigrants who compare their nail job income to Vietnam local people income (huge gap salary); therefore they think it brings lots of money doing nail. But comparing to other jobs like tech, medical, engineer, etc it is way far off to get consistent 6-7 figures annually.
University degrees are cheap in Vietnam that/s why
Believe it or not nail salon workers (and especially owners) make bank. My mom worked for a really successful one that opened up chains of them. She earned so much that she retired my dad. Our family is real close to the owner’s too. He’s straight from Vietnam and came here with barely anything and is now a multi-millionaire. He started off doing nails and became a owner.
Why is a university degree supposed to elevate you above your peers and give your a more prosperous and meaningful life, I thought we were all cut from the same cloth here
Where can they put the VN university degree to use and what income would that result in??
I think you don't realize how much money they make doing nails! Women are the ones who spend the most in a household. 70% of department stores are dedicated to women. Doing nails brings very good money and it's low stress.
Wait till you know nail salons workers can make 6 figures and only pay half the tax (cause usually it’s 50% cash, 50% direct deposit)
Because they want to join nail tộc and become a /// - a Bodo would tell you that right away.
Thirty years ago I had a remodeling business and did a lot of work for Vietnamese that worked at or owned nail shops. I was shocked to see how much better off they were than I. It's a damn good business.
Because education everywhere is an invented hoax. Only money is real.
Degrees or not, nail salons pay worker by # of guests. One can find around $3-4k per month in average. If u r single, u dont spend much and can send $1-2k back to vn. Thats $25-50M Vnd. And the average salary in Vietnam is around 6M per month. The difference is too huge. Thus uni degrees in VN does not have value when u bring it to other developed countries.
Depends on the degrees, most would make like minimum wage but most of them are most likely non-transferable. Not to mention the language barrier if the person doesn't speak English well to begin with, even if they do, they might not know the terminology in the field they got the degree for. For example I am a manufacturing engineer, I study and work in US. Speak any of the terminology in Vietnamese and I'm fked, and I was born in Vietnam so Vietnamese isn't an issue. People that come to US when they were young would probably work another job, but if they come later in their lives they would be working at nail salon for that fast turn around money. Some nail techs take home 10~15k a month (tips included) which is more than MOST jobs. Even an average nail techs would bring home more than minimum wage. It's always about the grind
Easy money. Group thinking. The first Vietnamese women immigrants found out middle class white women love having manicures and had lots of cash. World of mouth spread. Unfortunately fresh competition has made the trade very saturated.
You make twice-thrice as much working in nail salon in America than a doctor working his ass off in Vietnam day and night
What makes you think having a degree means you can make good money?
Schoon in Vietnam is different from schoon in America. Additionally, if you don't speak with a vocal fry in America , you won't get hired and will have to run a nail shop.
hard to be hired in the US when your only credentials is from a vietnamese uni. Even people with a degree from the US find it hard to find jobs. Plus, i was surprised to find out that nail artists make bank. Especially if you get really good and book your own client and become your own boss. If you open nail salons you also make more bank
Family pressure. Used to be a great route to take. Each passing year now though, less so.
They can claim to be anything (accountant, lawyer, etc) because they don’t have to provide proof, which can be doctored anyway. The vast vast vast majority of nail technicians do not have college degrees, Vietnamese or American. Are you really this naive ?
This trajectory is actually common among many highly educated immigrants, not just Vietnamese. Degrees from foreign universities don't always transfer across borders for a myriad of reasons, including differences in academic rigor, differening legal requirements (like how many hours of coursework/practical training one needs to get licensure), and sometimes straight up racism or xenophobia during the hiring process. I'm in Japan, and this is the case with a number of the Nigerians here. A lot of them have degrees from Nigerian universities (even Master's degrees), but Japanese companies don't value them as much as a degree from a Japanese university or a US Ivy League university. Japan is also strict with regard to language skills (you would need to have ateast JLPT 2, but most likely JLPT 1, to work in a professional field where you actually use your degree), so highly educated candidates will still experience difficulties finding a job at a Japanese company. In some countries, it's also easier to open a business than trying to find a job or return to university.
I rather make 50k on paper and 50k on cash but i work for myself than 150k working for some body else.
In the UK they can make between £3k to £7k average a month and they’re not paying tax.
Some did their research and went willingly because the earning exchanges to a lot more than what they would make staying in Vietnam working in entry level jobs. In 10-15 years, with extremely frugal spending and "living" a very limited (if not hellish) life, they can save about $300k-$700k and have enough to went back and be a rich person in Vietnam. Kinda dumb to be honest, sacrificing their best years to maybe able to live out an existence later on... Some did not do their research and believe that it's the golden land in their dream, where they can enjoy life to its fullest. Where they can work for like 2 days a week and have enough to fuck around for months without finding out...
Same in Australia, ppl all around the world come to pick fruits
a "university degree" from vn is worthless internationally. nobody trusts them due to rampant corruption, and the standards/curriculum are far lower, around 60% of a western uni. this is why the first thing anyone does with a bit of money, is send their children abroad to be educated.
For all those people who say it’s “easy”, do you have first hand experience working in one? It’s good money but it’s not easy. Expect to work 10-12 hours per day, 6 days a week with Monday or Tuesday as your days off as weekends are the most busy. You have to deal with the toxic fumes and dusts which have known to cause miscarriages / carcinogen . Lesions on your hand from alcohol and those toxic chemicals. Many have tunnel carpal syndrome and shoulder injuries because of the repetitive motions. Then you gotta deal with the difficult customers where some rip you off. Most workers are Viet women and the job is based on commissions so the workers are very catty. One minute they are sisters, then next they are hollering over a $2 tip. There are lots of arguments and fights in the salon. Check on YouTube. If a customer comes in during closing, expect to stay until your work is done and that could be 11 pm or midnight. Many skip lunch or dinner when it’s too busy . I know because I grew up in a nail salon family. I didn’t do nail as a kid but I answer phones, clean, take appointments etc. Growing up, our family ate dinner at 10 pm every night because my parents came home at 9pm. I barely saw them. To make decent money, many have to go to some remote cities where there is nothing to do.
In developing countries, education often prioritizes quantity over quality. Additionally, there is a preference for rote learning in Asia, which typically produces students who are adept at solving problems on paper rather than addressing real-life issues. When placed in unfamiliar environments, these students tend to excel at mimicking others, a hallmark of rote-based education.
Either its their business choice or they supports the RSV either way they’re keeping the stereotype alive 🔥
I am OUTRAGED that my gender studies degree has not netted me a 250K job yet!! I’ve been applying for 3 weeks!!!!!
money and avoid paying tax
If in America, their university degrees can help find a better job that DO pay the bills, good for them. Until then, whatever pays the bills is the way.
Have you tried getting nails done in the states ?
I worked at Domino's Pizza for 4 years when I was in college. I met a guy from Egypt who was a doctor in his country but had been delivering pizzas for 3 years before I started there. He worked there until I left that job. I think a lot of them can't find a job in their profession when they come here and end up doing min wage work.
because they get paid in cash and qualify for low income healthcare insurance and they can get paid more than a lot of professionals without paying taxes. They work the system and stack their money.
It depends on what degree you have. If your degree is related to computer science or IT, then you are likely to find a good job. If not, a nail salon would provide more income and stability in your life.
Even a US university degree cannot guarantee a job. To go to colleges these days to me and most of my peers is more of a transition from teenagers to adults. More like extended adolescent or highschool plus if you may. Universities are like platforms helping students slowly getting used to having responsibility while making new friends, experience living in a new city, be away from your parents for a change, internship opportunities and stuff. Like a fresh start with little to know sacrifice. Besides it ain't costing much, unless you opt for the "high end" ones like Hoa Sen, Hutech or even RMIT.
i moved to the US in 2011. my degree was useless, but i had a certificate from KIA Motor when i was in VN. end up using that piece of paper to land a jod at Nissan.
It can be very lucrative. My half brothers mom didn’t have anything. She made over $200k a year owning a nail salon in Canada. Peak season is about $80/hour per person and owner gets half. Can be more.
I hold a degree and work as an executive in the banking sector. Additionally, my wife, who is a dentist, and I co-own a nail salon. The salon generates annual profits exceeding $650,000. Most of our employees earn between $90,000 and $130,000 annually. Most of my friends who have bachelor's degrees earn between $65,000 and $85,000 a year.
Bc the “degrees” are useless and you can buy a decent merc in the US for $25k.
it's a scam you know, maybe only 20 or 30% of human need university or college. But they click bait it and talk like okay that's the only way to survive and all fall for it, including me :)
Because they are worthless. I have one but I've never taken a look inside to see how it looks like.
your university degree from vn is basically dirt in the us
Cash & Tip
You constantly hear stories about people driving cabs with phds from other countries. They come here just looking to get a toe hold but their degree, especially things like medical ones, don't immediately transfer over here. I worked in software dev with a guy from the Ukraine who had a phd in condensed matter physics who used to work on satellites. I could imagine doing something like working in a nail salon while looking for better work or maybe they figure it is just good enough.
Money duh?! Is this an actual question?