The Device Solutions (DS) division is responsible for Samsung’s semiconductor business, and with the continued memory crisis that has caused a spike in DRAM shortage and shot the price of computer hardware sky-high, the Korean giant will be enjoying the spoils while every other entity involved in this industry struggles. Thanks to the increasing demand for RAM and High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM), the DS division’s employees will reportedly receive performance bonuses worth up to half of their salaries in early 2026, making it more than three times the rate they received in 2024.
The performance bonus is slightly less than what Samsung’s Mobile Experience division’s employees will receive, with rising prices of DRAM and HBM the primary reason behind the larger payout
Employees stationed at Samsung’s semiconductor arm are expected to receive a payout in the 43-48 percent range of their annual salary. This figure represents a significant increase compared to the 14 percent performance-based bonus they received last year, with ETNews reporting that Samsung has announced the projected payout rate for excess profit incentives (OPI) for 2025.
This massive jump was the result of increasing prices for general-purpose DRAM and full-scale supply of Samsung’s fifth-generation High-Bandwidth Memory. Micron was recently surpassed by the Korean giant in HBM3E and HBM4 breakthroughs, with NVIDIA’s HBM3E supply already prepared for next-generation AI-centric GPUs. Additionally, the company has prioritized DDR5 production in favor of HBM technology due to increased profits, setting a strong platform for pocketing an estimated operating profit of a mammoth $73 billion in 2026.
Samsung’s semiconductor revenue recovery will be aided by Apple, with the latter said to have made the manufacturer the biggest supplier of LPDDR5X RAM chips, which will be found in current iPhone 17 and future iPhone 18 models. A 100 percent performance-based bonus was previously reported to be awarded to DS division employees, but that was likely for the entire year, as Samsung pushes these incentives twice every six months.
The MX division overseeing Samsung’s smartphone sales was awarded the highest performance-based payout, with employees receiving a 45-50 percent bonus
It is not just the DS division that received performance-based rewards; depending on the success of a particular business, Samsung’s employees will receive a paltry sum or a massive one. The report states that the Mobile Experience (MX) sector will receive a 45-50 percent bonus, making it a slight increase over last year’s 40-44 percent payout.
The TV business, also known as Visual Display (VD), received a performance-based bonus rate of 9-12 percent. As for Digital Appliances (DA), Networks and Medical Devices Divisions, these will receive a projected bonus of 9-12 percent this year.
News Source: ETNews
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
