2 job exits, failed startup and multiple promotions: Techie’s salary journey from Rs 37k to Rs 2.2 crore
An India-based software professional has shared how his monthly salary of Rs 37,000 in 2015 grew into an annual compensation package of approximately Rs 2.2 crore over 11 years.
His career included multiple promotions, moves between major companies and startups, two resignations without long-term plans, and an unsuccessful attempt to build a fintech venture. Sharing his experience online, the tech professional described the financial and professional highs and lows that shaped his journey.
Starting with Rs 37,000 per month
He began his career in 2015 at a services and consulting company, earning Rs 37,000 per month. Despite being a services-based organisation, he said it had a strong technology culture that helped him learn and establish a solid professional foundation.
After receiving a promotion and completing four years at the company, his monthly compensation had risen to approximately Rs 1.1 lakh. However, he eventually felt that staying in the same organisation had made him complacent, prompting him to explore new opportunities.
Major salary jump in 2019
In 2019, he joined a company comparable to leading global technology firms with an annual package of Rs 44 lakh—nearly three times his previous compensation. The role allowed him to understand how a large corporate organisation operated.
However, his experience became increasingly difficult during the Covid-19 pandemic. An overwhelming workload and the distressing atmosphere surrounding the pandemic began affecting his mental health. He resigned in mid-2020 without another job offer.
Joining a US startup and earning promotions
Within a few months, he received an offer from a US-based real estate startup with an annual package of Rs 50 lakh. He joined the company and was promoted within eight months, increasing his compensation to Rs 65 lakh.
A subsequent year-end appraisal pushed his package close to Rs 70 lakh by the end of 2021.
Leaving corporate employment to build a startup
In May 2022, he left his job to become the chief technology officer of his own fintech startup. The business gained reasonable early traction but encountered significant licensing challenges.
By March 2024, the venture’s prospects had weakened. He continued trying to make it work for several more months, but the departure of a co-founder made it difficult to sustain the company. In August 2024, he began searching for a corporate role again.
Rs 1.2 crore offer followed by another exit
In October 2024, he secured a technology leadership role at an Indian startup with an annual package of Rs 1.2 crore. Although the opportunity initially appeared promising, he concluded within three months that the workplace was not right for him.
He described the environment as toxic and disagreed with the company’s business model and values, which he felt relied heavily on inexpensive labour. Unwilling to remain in that setting, he resigned.
Package crosses Rs 2 crore
His next opportunity arrived in February 2025, when a major global technology company offered him an annual package of Rs 1.5 crore.
He received another promotion in March 2026, taking his compensation above Rs 2 crore. An increase in the value of his stock-based compensation subsequently lifted his total package to around Rs 2.2 crore.
A milestone after 11 years
Reflecting on his progress, the professional said he neither came from a wealthy family nor attended a top-tier college. Reaching a compensation level comparable to that of experienced graduates from leading institutions therefore felt like a significant personal achievement.
His journey highlights how career growth can involve more than a steady sequence of promotions. It may also include calculated risks, difficult exits, entrepreneurial setbacks and the willingness to start again when a role or venture does not work out.
