Corporate India to see 9.1% salary hike in 2026: Report
Good news for job seekers and young professionals—India's corporate sector is set to see an average salary hike of 9.1% in 2026, a slight bump from Aon's 8.9%.
This comes from major surveys by EY and Aon, with EY reporting a shift toward skills-based pay to attract top talent, especially in fast-growing tech fields.
Sector-wise projections
Some sectors stand out: Global Capability Centers are leading with a 10.4% hike, followed by financial services (10%), e-commerce (9.9%), and pharma/life sciences (9.7%).
Real estate and NBFCs aren't far behind, both topping the 10% mark too.
Even automotive, engineering, manufacturing, and retail are projected to deliver above-average hikes according to Aon, though EY expects engineering, manufacturing and infrastructure to see increments below 9%.
Skills-based pay is on the rise
If you're into AI, machine learning or data science—your skills could get you up to 40% higher salaries as more companies reward specialized expertise.
About half of firms now use skills-based pay models. Top performers in these roles can earn up to 150% of their variable pay targets; even the average payout is climbing as variable pay rises from last year's levels.