Understanding salary benchmarks is not just useful for negotiation: it helps you set realistic targets, evaluate offer letters accurately, and make informed career decisions. This guide covers what Indian IT companies actually pay in 2026, from fresher to senior level, across FAANG, Indian unicorns, and service IT.
FAANG companies in India offer the highest base salaries in Indian tech, with significant stock components.
Google IndiaSWE-2 (entry level) ₹35–55 LPA base + ₹40–80 LPA RSU/year; SWE-3 ₹55–80 LPA base. Amazon India (SDE-1): ₹28–45 LPA total; (SDE-2): ₹55–85 LPA total including RSU. Meta India: ₹50–80 LPA total for E4 (entry post-campus); compensation weighted toward stock. Microsoft India: SDE-1 ₹20–35 LPA; SDE-2 ₹35–60 LPA; Principal SDE ₹80–1.2 Cr. Apple India (Bengaluru): ICT2 ₹35–55 LPA; ICT3 ₹60–90 LPA. Note: FAANG stock values fluctuate: base salary is the more stable component for financial planning.
Indian product companies pay significantly more than IT service firms but below FAANG levels.
FlipkartSDE-1 ₹25–45 LPA; SDE-2 ₹45–80 LPA; Staff engineer ₹90–1.5 Cr. Razorpay: SDE-1 ₹22–35 LPA; SDE-2 ₹40–65 LPA; strong ESOP component. Swiggy/Zomato: SDE-1 ₹18–30 LPA; SDE-2 ₹35–55 LPA. PhonePe: similar to Swiggy; fintech premium for backend roles. Meesho: SDE-1 ₹20–32 LPA; growing ESOP programme. CRED: SDE-1 ₹25–40 LPA; known for above-market pay to attract top talent. Freshworks: SDE-1 ₹15–25 LPA; listed company with RSU grants. Zoho: ₹10–25 LPA across levels; below-market base but strong work-life balance and no ESOP pressure to exit.
Banks and consulting firms operate with different compensation structures.
Goldman Sachs Indiaanalyst/associate ₹25–45 LPA; vice president ₹70–1.2 Cr. JPMorgan Chase India: SWE/analyst ₹18–35 LPA; strong global mobility opportunities. Morgan Stanley India: technology analyst ₹20–35 LPA. Deloitte USI / Accenture / Capgemini: ₹6–15 LPA for fresh analysts; ₹20–40 LPA for senior consultants. McKinsey/BCG/Bain: MBA hires ₹25–40 LPA; experienced hire principals ₹60–1 Cr+. HDFC/ICICI (tech roles): ₹12–25 LPA for technology staff; lower than product companies but high stability.
IT service companies pay the lowest in the industry but hire in the largest numbers.
TCSfresher ₹3.36–6.5 LPA (Digital roles); ₹3.36 LPA base for standard track. Infosys: fresher ₹3.6–6.5 LPA (Power Programmer premium track). Wipro: fresher ₹3.5–6.5 LPA (Elite NTH). HCL: ₹3.5–6.5 LPA. Cognizant: ₹3.5–5 LPA. Capgemini: ₹4–7 LPA. Important context: IT service companies have structured increments (6–12% annually) and internal mobility programmes that allow transition to higher-paying tracks. Many top earners at product companies started in IT service companies.
Knowing the market is only useful if you act on it correctly.
For negotiationanchor to the 75th percentile for your target company, not the average. AmbitionBox and Glassdoor user data skews slightly above actual median because higher earners are more likely to post. For career planning: if you are at an IT service company earning ₹5 LPA with 3 years of experience, the realistic target at a mid-tier product company is ₹15–25 LPA: a 3–5x jump is achievable with the right preparation. The gap between FAANG and service IT for the same experience level is 5–10x: this explains the intense competition for FAANG roles.