Even with a moderation in hiring activity, salaries continued to surge across India’s high-skill sectors. AI, cybersecurity, energy, and specialised healthcare roles posted significant upward movement, reflecting a market where depth of expertise is increasingly rewarded.
Salary Trends by Experience Level
Entry-Level (0–3 years)
- Artificial Intelligence (₹7.9–13.7 LPA): AI/ML roles continue to dominate fresher pay scales, often outpacing general IT roles by a wide margin.
- Telecommunications (₹5.7–10.1 LPA): Network engineering and 5G-linked roles remained attractive for early-career talent.
- Venture Capital & Private Equity (₹5.9–10.8 LPA): Analyst and research roles in VC/PE firms offer premium starting packages driven by deal activity.
Mid-Level (7–10 years)
- Artificial Intelligence (₹20.1–30.1 LPA): Mid-level AI professionals saw strong acceleration as companies built dedicated AI product and engineering teams.
- Investment Management (₹14.7–24.5 LPA): Financial modelling, portfolio strategy, and risk analytics roles continued to command competitive pay.
- Computer & Network Security (₹17.3–25.9 LPA): Cyber talent remained in short supply, keeping pay scales consistently higher than most IT functions.
Senior-Level (15+ years)
- Computer & Network Security (₹49.8–89.7 LPA): Leadership roles in cybersecurity now rival CXO-level pay, reflecting the criticality of digital defence.
- Artificial Intelligence (₹63.3–79.6 LPA): Senior AI experts remain among the highest-paid specialists in the country.
- Medical Practice (₹45.5–52.5 LPA): Private healthcare expansion and specialised clinical expertise continue to drive strong top-tier compensation.
Top Performing Sectors by Salary Growth (YoY)
- Artificial Intelligence (+10%): Continued to set the benchmark for salary premiums, especially for senior specialists.
- Oil & Energy (+9%): Investments in sustainability and infrastructure generated stronger compensation growth.
- Medical Practice (+9%): High-end clinical roles and hospital expansion pushed salaries upward.
- Computer & Network Security (+9%): Increased enterprise security risks sustained year-long salary inflation.
- Analytics (+8%): Growing reliance on data engineering and BI services maintained healthy pay increments.
- Semiconductors & Electrical Manufacturing (+7%): India’s hardware localisation push boosted compensation trends.
Summary
Salary trends in October 2025 clearly highlight a shift toward a high-skill, high-premium talent economy. Specialists in AI, cybersecurity, healthcare, analytics, and energy continue to command significant premiums, while traditional sectors show moderate but stable growth. Expertise — more than tenure — is now the single biggest driver of compensation.
