Salary Guide 2026
Know what the role is actually worth
Most failed searches we inherit were mispriced from the start. These ranges come from offers our consultants placed in the last twelve months — not self-reported survey data.
Roles benchmarked
36
Median across set
₹41 L
Fastest-rising role
+16.6%
Machine Learning Engineer
| Role | Level | Range — low to high, median marked | Median | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | Executive | ₹1.4 Cr₹3 Cr | ₹2 Cr | +5.1% |
| GCC Site Leader | Executive | ₹1.1 Cr₹2.1 Cr | ₹1.5 Cr | +12.7% |
| General Counsel | Executive | ₹90 L₹1.9 Cr | ₹1.35 Cr | +5.3% |
| Chief People Officer | Executive | ₹90 L₹1.8 Cr | ₹1.3 Cr | +5.2% |
| Head of Engineering | Director | ₹80 L₹1.5 Cr | ₹1.1 Cr | +5.7% |
| VP Marketing | Executive | ₹70 L₹1.4 Cr | ₹1 Cr | +5.4% |
| Finance Director | Director | ₹70 L₹1.3 Cr | ₹95 L | +6.5% |
| Medical Affairs Director | Director | ₹60 L₹1.1 Cr | ₹82 L | +6.7% |
| Plant Manager | Director | ₹55 L₹95 L | ₹72 L | +5.8% |
| Engineering Manager | Lead | ₹50 L₹86 L | ₹68 L | +7.5% |
| Senior Legal Counsel | Senior | ₹45 L₹78 L | ₹60 L | +6.9% |
| Machine Learning Engineer | Senior | ₹36 L₹70 L | ₹52 L | +16.6% |
| Financial Controller | Senior | ₹35 L₹62 L | ₹48 L | +7.1% |
| Product Manager | Senior | ₹34 L₹62 L | ₹46 L | +7.2% |
| Senior Software Engineer | Senior | ₹32 L₹58 L | ₹44 L | +9.4% |
| Talent Acquisition Lead | Lead | ₹32 L₹56 L | ₹43 L | +10% |
| Enterprise Account Executive | Senior | ₹30 L₹60 L | ₹42 L | +10.5% |
| Transformation Lead | Senior | ₹30 L₹54 L | ₹41 L | +9.2% |
| DevOps / SRE | Senior | ₹28 L₹52 L | ₹39 L | +9.1% |
| Supply Chain Manager | Senior | ₹28 L₹50 L | ₹38 L | +7.3% |
| Compliance Manager | Senior | ₹26 L₹48 L | ₹36 L | +8.5% |
| Quality Manager | Senior | ₹26 L₹46 L | ₹35 L | +6% |
| Legal Counsel | Mid | ₹24 L₹45 L | ₹34 L | +7.4% |
| Regulatory Affairs Manager | Senior | ₹24 L₹43 L | ₹33 L | +8.4% |
| FP&A Manager | Mid | ₹22 L₹39 L | ₹30 L | +7.7% |
| Pharmacovigilance Lead | Senior | ₹22 L₹40 L | ₹30 L | +7.6% |
| Data Scientist | Mid | ₹20 L₹39 L | ₹29 L | +11.9% |
| HR Business Partner | Senior | ₹20 L₹37 L | ₹28 L | +6.8% |
| Internal Audit Manager | Mid | ₹20 L₹35 L | ₹27 L | +6.2% |
| Software Engineer | Mid | ₹18 L₹34 L | ₹26 L | +8.7% |
| Performance Marketing Manager | Mid | ₹18 L₹34 L | ₹25 L | +8.9% |
| Account Executive | Mid | ₹15 L₹32 L | ₹23 L | +9.6% |
| Operations Manager | Mid | ₹14 L₹27 L | ₹20 L | +6.3% |
| Process Engineer | Mid | ₹11 L₹22 L | ₹16 L | +5.5% |
| Financial Analyst | Entry | ₹9 L₹17 L | ₹13 L | +6.4% |
| Clinical Research Associate | Entry | ₹8 L₹16 L | ₹12 L | +8.1% |
Base salary only, excluding bonus, equity and allowances. Drawn from offers placed by HiringNow.ai consultants in the twelve months to September 2026. Ranges reflect the 25th to 75th percentile of placed offers — a starting point, not a substitute for a conversation about the specific role.
A range is a starting point, not an answer
If you're hiring
Price the role against the median before you write the advert. Budgeting to the bottom of the range and hoping is the most common reason a search runs long.
If you're job hunting
Use the range to frame the conversation early rather than at offer stage. Candidates who name a number first are not disadvantaged — they are usually saved time.
If the range looks wrong
It might be. Company stage, sector premium and scarcity all move these numbers. Call the consultant who covers your specialism and ask for the specific view.
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