As India’s dynamic job market braces for another fiscal cycle, TeamLease Services’ Jobs and Salaries Primer FY 2025–26 unveils a sharp and strategic shift in the compensation landscape. It highlights that employers across key industries are planning measured yet meaningful compensation increases, with salary increments projected to range between 6.2% and 11.3% across industries, with some city and role-level salary increments reaching up to 13.8%. The report, based on data from 1,308 businesses across 23 industries and 20 cities, provides a comprehensive outlook on how pay structures are evolving in a workforce shaped by sectoral transformation, skill-based hiring, and macroeconomic shifts.

According to the report, the highest salary increments are expected in sectors such as EV & EV Infrastructure (11.3%), Consumer Durables (10.7%), Retail (10.7%), and NBFCs (10.4%). Employers in these industries are placing greater value on roles that blend technical expertise, customer interaction, and adaptable skill sets. Top roles within industries with the highest salary increment are Electrical Design Engineer (12.4%) in EV & EV Infrastructure, In-Store Demonstrator (12.2%) in Consumer Durables, Relationship Executive (11.6%) in NBFC, and Fashion Assistant (11.2%) in Retail. 

This shift is driving compensation increases, particularly in Pune (10.4%), Mumbai (10.2%), Hyderabad (10.2%), Bengaluru (10.1%), and Gurgaon (10.1%). A few of the roles within cities are expected to show exceptional salary increments - Quality Control Inspector (13.8%) in Pune, MIS Executive (13.4%) in Hyderabad, Data Engineer (12.9%) in Bengaluru, Electrical Design Engineer (12.6%) in Mumbai, Sales Executive (12.4%) in Gurgaon. 

Across functional areas, Sales & Marketing roles are projected to see the highest average salary increment at 9.9%, followed closely by Engineering (9.5%). Other core functions, such as Finance, Customer Service & Back Office, Blue Collar, and HR & Admin, are expected to receive moderate hikes of between 8.2% and 8.6%, indicating a balanced growth trend across business-critical areas.

Role-specific data reveals that job profiles requiring a combination of technical knowledge and execution capability are seeing the highest salary hikes. Electrical Design Engineer is likely to see an increase of 12.4%, followed by In-Store Demonstrator at 12.2%, Mechanical Design Engineer at 12.1%, and Field Sales Executives at 11.9%.  Additionally, positions such as MIS Executives and IT Support Executives continue to experience steady growth, reflecting consistent demand across both frontline and backend operations.

The report also points to a strong blue-collar rebound. Traditionally stable in wage trends, this segment is now experiencing healthy increments, driven by rising infrastructure investments, the expanding EV ecosystem, and the ongoing revival in real estate and manufacturing. The fastest-growing blue-collar roles are mechanic (10.4%), material handler (10.0%), machine operator (9.9%), and electrician (9.3%). With the increasing competition among skilled operational workers, employers are reshaping their workforce strategies by focusing more on skill certification, retention, and incentive-led engagement.

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Kartik Narayan, CEO- Staffing, TeamLease Services, said, “While showcasing a year of steady salary growth, the report also highlights the ongoing structural evolution in India’s job economy. The projected salary growth, ranging from 6.2% to 11.3%, signals a broader realignment in India’s job and wage landscape. As new-age industries scale rapidly, demand is shifting toward roles that combine technical capability with immediate business impact. What’s equally telling is the upward momentum in blue-collar wages, where even traditionally stable roles like mechanic and material handler are seeing double-digit hikes. We see this shift as a critical signal for employers to align hiring with new growth engines, and for job seekers to upskill toward relevance and resilience.”

The report identifies top-paying roles, with dealer sales managers earning ₹45,400 per month, followed by safety engineer (₹43,500), mechanical design engineer (₹42,000), service engineer (₹41,200), and sales executive (₹40,300). These benchmarks reflect sustained demand for roles combining technical proficiency and operational impact.

While average salary increments in sectors like manufacturing, media, BPO, and education remain under 8%, certain roles in these industries are seeing sharper increases. IT Support (10.3%) in Media, Data Engineer (10.2%) in BPO, Chemist (10.2%) in Agriculture and Agrochemicals, and IT Project Engineer (9.7%) in Manufacturing, indicating growing compensation for domain-specific skills.

The report also highlights the narrowing differences in pay between permanent and temporary roles in tech-led sectors. While traditional industries still offer higher compensation for permanent positions, emerging sectors are aligning pay more closely across employment formats, indicating a shift toward a more skill-driven and role-based approach to compensation.

The TeamLease Jobs & Salaries Primer FY2025–26 provides an overview of the job market evolution in light of the operational realities of a growing economy. As India’s employment narrative continues to shift, salary structures are adapting to reward adaptability, execution, and future readiness.