Earning ₹11 LPA, Techie Flags ₹18 LPA Salary Of Fresher; Reddit Questions Pay Gap

He is currently on Lexapro, a medicine used to treat depression and anxiety. (Representative Image)

A Reddit post has gone viral after a tech professional expressed frustration over being underpaid compared to a newly hired colleague with similar experience. The post, titled “Joined at 8.5 LPA, now at 11 LPA after 2 years… new hire with 3 YOE joined at 18 LPA. Am I being underpaid?”, was shared by a 2023 graduate who has spent two years at their current company.

The employee further explained that they joined as a fresher through campus placements at Rs 8.5 lakh per annum and recently received a promotion to Rs 11 lakh per annum. Despite a strong performance record, they learned that a recruit with three years of experience had been hired at Rs 18 LPA.

“From what I’ve seen over the last 4 months, he hasn’t contributed a single line to the codebase yet, honestly, I don’t even know what he does most of the time,” the Redditor wrote.

“This has made me wonder if I’m being underpaid just because I came in as a fresher through campus placements. I’ve been performing well, solving customer tickets, taking on complex tasks, context switching across topics, and even leading team workshops. My manager recently told me in my annual review that I’m “doing great,” have holistic knowledge of the application and processes, and take complete ownership rather than just closing topics,” he continued.

However, the user also voiced frustration over the apparent pay disparity. “When I casually asked about my hike percentage, my manager said I’d know once HR sent the mail. I’ve always trusted my manager and never worried much about raises, but now, after learning that new hires with similar experience are earning far more, I feel like I’ve been taken for granted,” they wrote.

Concluding the post, the user raised questions about fairness. “Is this normal? Am I being underpaid? And how do I even bring this up with my manager? I’m honestly very shy when it comes to discussing hikes,” the original poster wrote.

Since going viral, the post has ignited a lively discussion online. Many users empathised with the original poster’s frustration, while a large number advised them to consider switching jobs for better pay and growth opportunities. Others debated the role of companies in maintaining fair compensation and raised concerns about how experience and loyalty are often undervalued in the tech industry.

“Unfortunately, this is very common in the IT industry. If you switch to a new company, you will end up on a higher pay grade than an existing employee with similar experience. If you like the work culture and good scope to learn, have an open conversation with your manager. If the outcome is not meeting your expectations, start looking out for a new job,” one user suggested.

“If you are not happy with what you’re earning or if you feel you can get more elsewhere, then try to switch. There will always be someone who is getting paid more than you,” commented another.

“You might be getting underpaid compared to him. But compensation goes through a cycle of you work hard, get underpaid and then after some time you get overpaid. You both are on different cycles. If you want to earn more quickly, switching is the only way,” said a third user.