Samsung fights chip talent poaching with more compensation

Samsung raised salaries for chip division employees by 6.8% amid attempts by Micron and SanDisk to poach NAND and HBM specialists. In 2026, the company spent about $5.97 billion on salaries, and $19.21 billion including stock. SK Hynix is also increasing payments.

• Salary growth in Samsung's chip division is 6.8% year-over-year
• In 2026, $5.97 billion spent on salaries vs $5.59 billion previously
• Total personnel expenses including stock reached $19.21 billion
• Micron and SanDisk are hiring NAND and HBM staff in Seoul