Indeed’s PayMap Survey: Emerging Cities Are India’s New Salary Hotspots

Bangalore, 3rd July 2025—Indeed’s inaugural PayMap Survey reveals a significant shift in India’s salary landscape. Cities like Hyderabad, Chennai, and Ahmedabad are emerging as the new hotspots for career-driven compensation growth, outperforming legacy economic hubs. While employees across the country have seen an average salary increase of nearly 15% in the past year, the most promising growth stories are playing out beyond the traditional economic centres.

The survey is based on responses from 1,311 employers and 2,531 employees, aimed to understand evolving salary benchmarks, sectoral trends, and worker sentiment in a post-pandemic economy. Chennai leads the entry-level salary chart, with freshers (0–2 years) earning ₹30,100 per month across sectors. Hyderabad, on the other hand, offers the highest mid or senior-level salaries, with professionals earning up to ₹69,700 per month at the 5 to 8 years of experience mark. Sashi Kumar, Head of Sales at Indeed India, said, “The salary dynamics are shifting, and employees are increasingly prioritising cities where compensation aligns with both cost of living and career potential. Our data shows that growth is no longer confined to just the biggest metros, opportunity is becoming more distributed.”

The PayMap Survey highlights notable variations in salaries across Indian cities based on experience levels. At the entry level (0–2 years), Chennai offers the highest average monthly salary at ₹30,100, followed by Hyderabad and Mumbai, both at ₹28,500. Bengaluru is close behind at ₹28,400. Ahmedabad and Kolkata also perform reasonably well, offering ₹27,300 and ₹27,400 respectively, while Pune follows at ₹27,200. Chandigarh and Delhi provide the lowest entry-level pay, both at ₹26,300.

For professionals with 2–5 years of experience, Hyderabad leads with an average monthly salary of ₹47,200. Chennai is next at ₹46,600, followed by Ahmedabad at ₹46,200. Bengaluru offers ₹46,000, Mumbai ₹45,700, and Chandigarh ₹45,500. Salaries in Kolkata and Pune stand at ₹44,900 and ₹44,600 respectively, with Delhi again at the bottom, offering ₹43,600.

In the 5–8 years experience category, Hyderabad again tops the chart with ₹69,700 per month, followed by Ahmedabad at ₹69,000 and Chandigarh at ₹68,400. Bengaluru follows at ₹67,100, while Chennai and Mumbai both offer ₹66,400. Kolkata’s senior professionals earn ₹66,000, Pune offers ₹65,500, and Delhi ranks lowest at ₹64,400.

The survey also indicates that 69% of employees feel their income doesn’t keep pace with the cost of living in their city. This disparity is most pronounced in high-expense metros such as Delhi (96%), Mumbai (95%), Pune (94%), and Bangalore (93%). Meanwhile, cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata are perceived as more affordable, offering relatively better financial breathing room. The rising cost of urban life isn’t the only deterrent — 69% of employees now express reluctance to relocate, citing not just monetary challenges but also the emotional and practical demands of moving.

Changing Face of Pay: High-Growth Roles and Rewarding Sectors At a sector level, IT/ITeS continues to dominate the salary landscape across all experience levels, driven by the ongoing demand for digital and AI-led roles. The other two sectors showcasing strong salary figures are manufacturing and telecom, from entry level to senior levels, with salaries ranging from ₹28,100 to ₹28,300 for freshers to ₹67,700 to ₹68,200 for 5-8 years of experience.

The PayMap Survey also outlines salary trends across key industry sectors in India. Among freshers (0–2 years of experience), the IT/ITeS sector offers the highest average monthly salary at ₹28,600, followed by Manufacturing at ₹28,300 and Telecommunications at ₹28,100. Logistics and E-commerce offer ₹27,600 and ₹27,700 respectively, while Healthcare & Pharma and BFSI pay ₹27,400 and ₹27,300. The Automobile sector provides ₹27,000 at the entry level. On the lower end, Consumer Durables pays ₹26,200, Media & Entertainment offers ₹26,700, and Construction & Real Estate has the lowest starting salary at ₹26,000.

For professionals with 2–5 years of experience, the IT/ITeS sector again leads with ₹46,900, followed by Manufacturing at ₹46,400 and Telecommunications at ₹46,100. Bengaluru, listed in the table as a sector for comparison, also stands at ₹46,000. Logistics and E-commerce follow closely at ₹45,300 and ₹45,600. Healthcare & Pharma and BFSI each offer ₹44,900, while Automobile pays ₹44,400. Salaries are slightly lower in Media & Entertainment (₹43,900), Consumer Durables (₹43,100), and Construction & Real Estate (₹42,600).

At the senior level (5–8 years of experience), Product & Project Management roles within IT/ITeS remain the highest-paying at ₹68,900 per month. Manufacturing follows at ₹68,200, with Telecommunications offering ₹67,700. Bengaluru, again listed for reference, offers ₹67,100. E-commerce and Logistics provide ₹66,900 and ₹66,500, while Healthcare & Pharma and BFSI offer ₹66,000 and ₹65,900 respectively. Automobile sector salaries reach ₹65,200, while Consumer Durables and Media & Entertainment offer ₹63,300 and ₹64,500. The lowest senior-level compensation is seen in Construction & Real Estate, with ₹62,600.

Freshers across job roles, varying from Software Development to HR engineers, earn an average salary between ₹25,000 to ₹30,500. Roles in Product & Project Management across sectors offer the highest pay across experience levels, with mid to senior professionals (5-8 years) earning up to ₹85,500 per month. UI/UX professionals are now on par with traditional tech roles like software developers, earning ₹65,000 at senior levels.

Methodology

This survey was conducted by Valuvox on behalf of Indeed, capturing responses from a total of 3,842 individuals including 1,311 employers and 2,531 employees or jobseekers. The study aimed to provide a representation of workforce composition and compensation patterns across key sectors and roles in India. The employer sample spanned 14 diverse industries, while the employee sample reflected a wide variety of functions, covering 16 distinct job roles.