US tech salaries soar while India's plummet
Tech salaries in India have dropped sharply—median pay for engineering and data pros fell from $36,000 last year to $22,000 this year, according to the 2025 State of Global Compensation Report by Deel and Carta.
Meanwhile, US tech salaries actually jumped from $122,000 to $150,000.
India now has 1 of the world's smallest gender pay gaps
Even with lower pay overall, India now has one of the world's smallest gender pay gaps in tech: men earn about $18,000 and women $13,000.
In sales roles here, men and women both average $12,000—a rare case of complete parity.
Equity grants have risen since 2021
Globally, top tech talent is seeing more compensation thanks to rising equity grants since 2021.
While base salaries in India have dipped hard, equity offers are growing fast—especially for skills like AI and cybersecurity (which can net you a 20-25% premium globally), though these boosts only slightly impact India's median pay.
India remains super affordable for hiring top engineers and data folks
Despite falling salaries, India remains super affordable for hiring top engineers and data folks.
Strong gender parity plus more equity-based incentives make it an attractive spot for companies wanting skilled talent at competitive rates.