Quick Answer: There is no single “software engineer salary” in India, and any page that gives you one number without explaining it is hiding the most important fact. Published figures for 2026 range from roughly ₹3.5 lakh to over ₹1 crore per year. The spread reflects a combination of employer type (IT services vs. product company vs. global tech), experience and role scope, location, and—at senior levels—equity compensation.
For a fresher, the realistic range is ₹3.3–4.5 LPA at IT services firms versus ₹6–45 LPA at product companies depending on college tier and employer type; at selective global tech employers, fresher packages can reach higher. For an engineer with 3–5 years’ experience, ₹25–45 LPA at Indian product companies and ₹45–80 LPA at MNC product companies are the bands reported by JobRise’s 2026 benchmarks.
The sections below show the evidence behind those numbers, explain why different salary sites report wildly different averages, and work through exactly how much of a ₹10 LPA package you actually take home under Tax Year 2026-27 rules.
Why Salary Websites Give You Different Numbers
Before quoting any “average”, it helps to know what each source is actually measuring. Here is what four major platforms reported for software engineers in India at the time of writing (October 2026).
| Source | What it measures | Reported figure | Basis and limitation | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmbitionBox (own employee data) | AmbitionBox’s own employees — not a national Software Engineer aggregate | Software Engineer at AmbitionBox: ₹9.6L–₹14.4L/yr; Fresher at AmbitionBox: ₹8.1L–₹12.1L/yr; 111 salaries, updated 10 May 2026 | Single-company dataset, not a market average. Useful as one employer reference point only. | AmbitionBox own salaries (Noida) |
| AmbitionBox (broader national context) | Employee-submitted CTC across many companies | Software Engineer and Analyst roles: ₹4.5L–₹5L/yr (0–1 yr, AmbitionBox estimate) | Illustrates the wide spread across roles and experience levels; not a direct substitute for the single-company figure above. | AmbitionBox broader role data |
| Indeed | Job-posting and reported base pay | India average base ₹8,86,111; 10.5k salaries reported, updated 19 October 2026 | Base pay only; excludes stock and bonus; job postings over the past 36 months. Indeed’s page updates frequently — verify on publication day. | Indeed Software Engineer salary India |
| Levels.fyi | Self-reported total compensation | Median total comp ₹30.6L; 25th pct ₹17.6L, 75th ₹49.6L, 90th ₹70.3L (page updated 27 October 2026) | Heavily skewed toward product companies and FAANG; submission bias toward higher earners. | Levels.fyi India Software Engineer |
| Recrew.ai | Compiled guide, 2026 | Range ₹3.5L–₹1.5Cr; stated national median ₹9–12 LPA | Methodology not publicly disclosed; median treated here as an unverified editorial estimate, not a measured statistic. | Recrew.ai salary guide |
Three lessons follow. First, “average” is nearly meaningless here — the distribution is bimodal, clustered around ₹4–10 LPA at services firms and ₹20L+ at product firms. Second, base salary and total compensation are different things, and comparing them produces false conclusions. Third, a figure without a stated methodology — or drawn from a single company — should be labelled accordingly, which is why both AmbitionBox entries and the Recrew.ai median are explicitly caveated above.
Methodology note: Figures were checked on 28 October 2026 against the linked pages. Indeed’s figure changes frequently as new job postings are indexed; the 19 October 2026 version is used here as the most recent available. Levels.fyi’s page was last updated 27 October 2026. Neither figure is an official company disclosure or government statistic.
Software Engineer Salary by Experience Level
The table below reflects total CTC using JobRise’s 2026 salary benchmarks as the primary reference. These are compiled benchmarks, not official company disclosures — individual offers vary by college tier, interview performance and negotiation.
| Experience | Years | Service Company | Indian Product | MNC Product | Startup | Common Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresher | 0–1 | ₹3.5–4.5 LPA | ₹10–18 LPA | ₹20–45 LPA | ₹6–15 LPA | SDE-1 / Software Engineer |
| Junior | 1–3 | ₹5–8 LPA | ₹15–28 LPA | ₹30–55 LPA | ₹10–25 LPA | SDE-1 / SDE-2 |
| Mid | 3–6 | ₹8–15 LPA | ₹25–45 LPA | ₹45–80 LPA | ₹18–40 LPA | SDE-2 / Senior SDE |
| Senior | 6–10 | ₹14–25 LPA | ₹40–70 LPA | ₹65 LPA–₹1.2 Cr | ₹30–65 LPA | Senior SDE / Tech Lead |
| Staff/Principal | 10+ | ₹20–40 LPA | ₹55 LPA–₹1 Cr | ₹80 LPA–₹2 Cr | ₹50 LPA–₹1 Cr | Staff / Principal Engineer |
Source: JobRise, “Salary Benchmarks for Tech Jobs in India 2026,” published February 2026. JobRise compiled these from AmbitionBox, Glassdoor India, Levels.fyi, Blind, LinkedIn salary insights, and conversations with 100+ tech professionals. They are benchmarks, not guarantees.
The key structural insight is that the gap between service and product employers widens dramatically with experience. At the fresher level, an Indian product company pays roughly 3–5× a service company. By the mid-level (3–6 years), an MNC product role can pay 5–10× a service role. This is why employer type is the single most consequential career variable for software engineers in India — more consequential than years of experience alone.
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Fresher Software Engineer Salary: The Two-Tier Market
Fresher hiring in India runs on two almost separate tracks, and JobRise’s 2026 guide quantifies the split precisely.
Track 1 — Service companies (TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Cognizant, Capgemini). Standard fresher packages sit at ₹3.3–4.5 LPA for mass-hiring tracks (TCS Ninja, Infosys PP, Wipro Elite). Premium specialist tracks (TCS Digital, Infosys DSE, Wipro Turbo) reach ₹6–7.5 LPA.
Track 2 — Product companies and startups. Fresher compensation varies sharply by company tier and college tier:
Source: JobRise, “Salary Benchmarks for Tech Jobs in India 2026” (February 2026) and “Software Jobs for Freshers in India: 2026 Guide” (October 2026).
JobRise’s college-tier breakdown adds important nuance: ₹3.5–8 LPA for tier-2/3 colleges, ₹6–15 LPA for tier-1 colleges, and ₹15–50+ LPA for IIT/NIT/BITS top placements. The same degree from a different campus can produce a 5–10× salary difference in the first year.
Note the ESOP caveat: startup stock is frequently illiquid and may ultimately be worth nothing. Compare offers on fixed cash plus liquid stock, not headline CTC.
Software Engineer Salary by City
Location matters, but less than employer type. Indeed’s Bengaluru data puts the average base salary at ₹10,25,082 (3.7k salaries, updated 12 October 2026), which is roughly 17% above the national average — the clearest single location effect available. The city table below is a compiled editorial estimate based on aggregator and job-posting data; it is not an official statistical series. Where a city-level Indeed figure exists, it is noted in the basis column.
| City | Mid-level (3–5 yrs) — editorial estimate | Senior (6+ yrs) — editorial estimate | Fresher at product firm — editorial estimate | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | ₹25 – ₹45 LPA | ₹40 – ₹70 LPA | ₹12 – ₹22 LPA | Editorial estimate; Indeed Bengaluru average base ₹10,25,082 (Oct 2026); SalaryExpert gross ₹26,86,893 |
| Hyderabad | ₹22 – ₹35 LPA | ₹35 – ₹55 LPA | ₹10 – ₹18 LPA | Editorial estimate; Indeed Telangana average base ₹9,21,210 (Oct 2026); SalaryExpert gross ₹23,45,364 |
| Pune | ₹20 – ₹32 LPA | ₹30 – ₹50 LPA | ₹8 – ₹16 LPA | Editorial estimate; Indeed Maharashtra average base ₹7,88,302–₹7,88,979 (Sep 2026) |
| Delhi NCR | ₹18 – ₹30 LPA | ₹30 – ₹50 LPA | ₹8 – ₹15 LPA | Editorial estimate; Indeed Delhi average base ₹7,37,960–₹7,44,757 (Sep 2026) |
Compiled editorial ranges based on aggregator and job-posting data, October 2026. Not official figures. Remote-first companies have partially flattened these differentials, and Hyderabad has narrowed the gap with Bengaluru due to GCC concentration.
CTC vs. In-Hand Salary: A Fully Worked ₹10 LPA Example (Tax Year 2026-27)
A ₹10 LPA CTC does not mean ₹83,333 per month in your bank account. Here is the arithmetic, with every assumption stated. This calculation uses Tax Year 2026-27 rules under the Income-tax Act, 2025, in force from 1 April 2026.
Illustrative assumptions: resident individual; salary income only; new tax regime (default); eligible for rebate under Section 156; the entire salary is taxed at normal slab rates; no special-rate income (capital gains, lottery, VDA); full-year employment; no variable pay; Karnataka professional tax. The example is for explanation, not a substitute for payroll computation. Payroll deductions, benefits, salary structure and individual circumstances can change the actual amount received.
Assumed salary structure
| Component | Annual | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Basic salary | ₹4,00,000 | 40% of CTC (typical) |
| HRA | ₹2,00,000 | 50% of basic |
| Special allowance | ₹3,32,760 | Balancing figure |
| Gross salary | ₹9,32,760 | |
| Employer PF | ₹48,000 | 12% of basic |
| Gratuity provision | ₹19,240 | 4.81% of basic |
| Total CTC | ₹10,00,000 |
New tax regime (default) — Tax Year 2026-27
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross salary | ₹9,32,760 |
| Less: standard deduction | −₹75,000 |
| Taxable income | ₹8,57,760 |
| Tax: 5% on ₹4L–₹8L | ₹20,000 |
| Tax: 10% on ₹8L–₹8,57,760 | ₹5,776 |
| Tax before rebate | ₹25,776 |
| Rebate under Section 156 (eligible total income up to ₹12 lakh; maximum rebate ₹60,000 under the new regime) | −₹25,776 |
| Tax payable (incl. cess) | ₹0 |
The new tax regime remains the default under the 2025 Act. The ₹75,000 standard deduction and the Section 156 rebate (₹60,000 maximum, eligible total income up to ₹12 lakh) continue to apply for Tax Year 2026-27. Critical limitation: the Section 156 rebate applies only to tax on income chargeable at normal slab rates. It cannot eliminate tax on special-rate income such as specified capital gains, lottery winnings, or virtual digital asset income. The zero-tax result above holds because all income in this example is normal-rate salary income.
Official source for the rebate and slabs: Section 156, Income-tax Act, 2025 — incometaxindia.gov.in and Section 202, Income-tax Act, 2025 — new tax regime slabs. For a plain-language explanation of the Section 156 / Section 87A transition and the special-rate exclusion, see TaxGuru’s analysis.
Annual take-home
| Item | New regime | Old regime (with ₹15,000/month rent + 80C) |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | ₹9,32,760 | ₹9,32,760 |
| Less: employee PF | −₹48,000 | −₹48,000 |
| Less: professional tax | −₹2,400 | −₹2,400 |
| Less: TDS | ₹0 | −₹53,510 |
| Annual in-hand | ₹8,82,360 | ₹8,28,850 |
| Monthly in-hand | ~₹73,530 | ~₹69,071 |
Old-regime calculation (TY 2026-27): HRA exemption ₹1,40,000, standard deduction ₹50,000, 80C ₹48,000 → taxable ₹6,94,760 → tax on ₹2.5L–₹5L @5% = ₹12,500; ₹5L–₹6.94L @20% = ₹38,952; total ₹51,452 + 4% cess = ₹53,510. Old-regime rebate under Section 156 is capped at ₹12,500 and applies only where total income does not exceed ₹5 lakh; it is not available at this income level.
The honest conclusion: in-hand pay at ₹10 LPA is roughly ₹69,000–₹73,500 per month, i.e. about 83–88% of CTC — not 60–70%. The earlier assumption that take-home is always 60–70% is wrong at this level, precisely because the Section 156 rebate zeroes out tax under the new regime up to ₹12 lakh total income. As a general pattern (not a universal rule), the in-hand proportion tends to fall as CTC rises — expect closer to 70–78% at ₹25–30 LPA, where tax and variable pay typically take a larger share, though individual structures and declarations will move this.
Two further points the table cannot capture: gratuity is not paid annually (it accrues and is payable after five years of service), and employer PF is not cash in hand — it is your money, but locked in a PF account.
Use the ₹10 LPA in-hand salary breakdown for a personalised figure, and see the ₹5 LPA in-hand salary page for how the ratio shifts at lower packages.
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Top-Paying Employers: What Levels.fyi’s Reported Ranges Show
The table below reports what Levels.fyi’s company pages actually show for Google India, Microsoft India, Amazon India and Apple India: the lowest and highest total-compensation levels listed, not editorial bands for “entry” and “mid” roles. These are selective benchmarks at the upper end of the market, not typical outcomes. The bands below should be read as the reported level span, not a promise for any particular candidate.
Source: Levels.fyi company pages for Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple India, as cross-checked by GreatFrontEnd on 13 July 2026. Individual offers vary enormously by team, negotiation and year. These are self-reported aggregates, not company policy.
What about Flipkart and Swiggy? No comparable, citable Levels.fyi level-range was available in the sources checked for this revision. Rather than present an unsourced editorial band alongside verified FAANG ranges, those two employers are omitted here. If a Levels.fyi level-range for either becomes available, it can be added on the same basis as the four above.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the monthly salary of a software engineer in India?
Answer: Monthly in-hand pay is roughly ₹25,000–₹35,000 for an entry-level engineer at an IT services firm, and ₹80,000–₹1,50,000+ at a top product company. Mid-level engineers commonly take home ₹1,00,000–₹2,00,000 per month depending on employer and city. Note that Indeed’s reported India average base salary of about ₹8.86 lakh per year is a base figure, not take-home.
2. Why do salary websites show such different averages?
Answer: Because they measure different things. Levels.fyi’s median of roughly ₹30.6 lakh is total compensation, self-reported, and skewed toward product companies. Indeed’s ~₹8.86 lakh is base pay from job postings. AmbitionBox’s ₹9.6L–₹14.4L range is AmbitionBox’s own employee salary data, not a national Software Engineer aggregate. Recrew.ai’s ₹9–12 LPA median is a compiled estimate whose methodology is not publicly disclosed. None is the whole market; each answers a different question.
3. Can a software engineer earn ₹10 lakh per month?
Answer: A ₹10 lakh monthly cash figure would imply roughly ₹1.2 crore+ in annual cash compensation, before tax and before any equity that may not be immediately sellable. That combination is rare and is typically reachable only for Principal or Staff Engineers and senior engineering managers at top global firms with substantial liquid equity — not for typical senior developers. Distinguish annual CTC from monthly cash salary and from illiquid stock when evaluating any headline number.
4. Who earns more, a CA or an IT engineer?
Answer: It depends on stage and employer. A newly qualified CA at a Big 4 firm may earn ₹8–12 LPA, comparable to a mid-tier product engineer. The ceiling for top-tier software engineers with equity can exceed most salaried CA paths. See our CA salary guide for the comparison.
5. Is a software engineer’s salary higher in private companies or government jobs?
Answer: Private product companies and global tech firms offer the highest cash potential. Government and PSU IT roles pay less in cash but may include pension, housing and greater security. See PSU salary for a government benchmark.
6. Which skills actually raise a software engineer’s pay?
Answer: The clearest, best-evidenced lever is employer type combined with role scope, not a standalone skill list. Within a given employer, DSA and system design are the gatekeepers for higher bands, and specialisations such as AI/ML, distributed systems, cloud architecture and security are reported to command premiums. Treat any specific percentage you see — including estimates of 30–50% — as a market estimate from a source whose methodology varies, not a rule. Our cyber security salary page covers one such specialisation.
7. What is a good salary for a software engineer in India?
Answer: As a working benchmark for 2026: above ₹12 LPA by 2–3 years’ experience, above ₹25 LPA by 5–6 years, and above ₹40 LPA at senior/staff level would place you in the upper part of the market — particularly outside Bengaluru and Hyderabad. But compare within your employer type and role scope, not against the market-wide bimodal average.
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