A software engineer’s career journey from earning Rs 37,000 a month in 2015 to a package of around Rs 2.2 crore has gone viral on social media. His remarkable salary growth over 11 years has caught the attention of tech professionals curious to know how he achieved the significant jump in his package. The tech professional shared his journey on Reddit, detailing the major job switches, promotions, and career decisions that helped him increase his salary significantly over the years.
His journey also highlights how learning, gaining experience, and making the right career moves can open up new opportunities.
He said he started his career in 2015 at a service and consulting company with a monthly salary of Rs 37,000. According to him, the company had a good technology culture, while the role gave him an opportunity to learn and build solid experience.
After four years, he received a promotion, taking his monthly salary to around Rs 1.1 lakh. While he considered it a decent salary, he felt he had become complacent and eventually decided to move on.
From 37K per month to 2.2 cr+ package after 11 years
by u/SnooRabbits1275 in Indian_flex
In 2019, he joined a FAANG-level company with a package of Rs 44 lakh per annum, nearly three times his previous compensation.
He said the move gave him exposure to a large corporate setup and helped him understand how a major technology company operated. However, the workload increased significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic, eventually taking a toll on his mental health.
“Covid happened, and the workload became too much to handle. It started taking a toll on my mental health,” he wrote, adding that he eventually quit in mid-2020 without having another job lined up.
Within a couple of months, he received an offer from a US-based real estate startup. Since he was unemployed at the time, he said the Rs 50 lakh per annum offer was not a significant hike over his previous compensation.
He received a promotion within eight months, taking his package to Rs 65 lakh per annum. Following the year-end appraisal, his compensation rose to nearly Rs 70 lakh by the end of 2021.
Started A Fintech Startup
In May 2022, he decided to take a different route and started working on a fintech venture as its chief technology officer (CTO).
“We gained decent traction early on but faced a lot of issues around licences, and by March 2024 things started looking very bleak,” he said.
He continued with the venture for a few more months, but one of his co-founders eventually quit. He then concluded that continuing the startup would be difficult and began looking for jobs in August 2024.
In October 2024, he joined an Indian startup in a technology leadership role with a package of Rs 1.2 crore.
However, he said he realised within three months that the opportunity was not what he had expected. According to him, the work environment was “too toxic”, while the startup’s business model was heavily dependent on the availability of cheap labour. He eventually decided to leave.
Rs 1.5 Crore Package In 2025
In February 2025, he received an offer from another FAANG company with a package of Rs 1.5 crore.
He was promoted in March 2026, following which his annual package crossed Rs 2 crore. “Coupled with an increase in stock, it currently sits around 2.2 crore,” he said.
Reflecting on his career, he said he did not come from a wealthy background and did not attend a tier-1 college.
“After 11 years, earning close to what graduates from tier-1 colleges earn feels like a flex,” he said.
(Disclaimer: This story is based on claims made by a Reddit user in a post on the platform. NDTV has not independently verified the authenticity of these claims.)
