Median engineering and data professional compensation in India fell to $22,000 in 2025, versus $36,000 in 2024, in a collaborative report by payroll platform Deel and equity management tool Carta. Median wages also declined to $23,000 as product and design jobs in India declined.
However, salaries in the United States of America have risen to as high as $150,000 for the same job positions, averaging $122,000. The report highlights the growing gap between Indian and global tech compensation, indicating a widening gap in earning potential across markets. The international comparisons involved companies valued at a minimum of $ 300 million.
The report found that continuing gender pay gaps existed in technical and product functions, whereas the sales functions showed partial improvement. Canada, France, and the United States had the most significant differences in salaries between males and females.
India, on the other hand, had one of the lower gender gaps in the world. The median salaries for men and women in the country ranged from $13,000 to $23,000, depending on the position and job. The median wages of men and women in the sales field were equal at $12000. The median male pay was $23,000 in product and design positions, versus $18,000 in design positions. Data positions had a median income of $18,000 for males and $13,000 for females.
The global compensation of top technical talent is escalating, and much of this is being fueled by the growing use of equity compensation. According to Carta data, the growth of median equity grants to engineers as a percentage of company ownership has increased steadily from 2021 to 2025, with some emerging markets, such as Brazil and India, recording some of the highest growth rates.
Deel handles more than 1 million contracts and has 35,000 customers spread across over 150 countries, and Carta has data based on more than 900,000 existing salary and equity records. The trend suggests that the world is shifting towards equity-based compensation plans, particularly in technology- and product-based sectors.
The results suggest that India is competitive in terms of pay in local markets; however, global inequality is growing. Share-based compensation is also becoming a significant component of total compensation, particularly in areas where technology is rapidly advancing.