A software engineer’s career journey from earning ₹37,000 a month in 2015 to receiving an annual compensation package of around ₹2.2 crore has attracted attention on social media. The technology professional shared his career story in a Reddit post, describing how promotions, job switches and a stint as a startup founder contributed to his compensation growth over 11 years. He said he began his career at a service and consulting company, where he earned ₹37,000 per month and gained experience in a strong technology environment.
After spending four years at the company, he received a promotion that increased his monthly salary to around ₹1.1 lakh. Although he described the compensation as decent, he said he eventually felt complacent and decided to seek a new opportunity. In 2019, he joined a FAANG-level technology company with an annual package of ₹44 lakh, representing a substantial increase over his previous compensation. He said the move exposed him to a large corporate environment and helped him understand how a major technology organisation operated.
The engineer said the workload became particularly difficult during the Covid-19 pandemic and began affecting his mental health. He eventually resigned in mid-2020 without having another job lined up. Within a couple of months, he secured an offer from a US-based real estate startup with an annual package of ₹50 lakh. He received a promotion within eight months, taking his compensation to ₹65 lakh, while an appraisal later raised it to nearly ₹70 lakh by the end of 2021.
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In May 2022, he chose entrepreneurship and began working as the chief technology officer of a fintech startup. According to his account, the venture initially gained traction but encountered difficulties related to licences, and its prospects weakened by March 2024. After a co-founder left, he concluded that continuing the business would be difficult and began searching for another job in August 2024. In October that year, he joined an Indian startup in a technology leadership role with a package of ₹1.2 crore, but said he left after about three months because he found the work environment toxic and had concerns about the company’s business model.
The engineer returned to a FAANG company in February 2025 with an annual package of ₹1.5 crore. He said he was promoted in March 2026, after which his compensation crossed ₹2 crore. With an increase in stock compensation, he said his current package stands at around ₹2.2 crore. The progression represents a significant increase from the ₹37,000 monthly salary with which he began his professional career in 2015, although the figures reflect the compensation packages he reported rather than independently verified salary records.
Reflecting on his career, the software engineer said he did not come from a wealthy background and did not graduate from a tier-1 college. He attributed his progress to gaining experience, making career changes and taking opportunities that came his way, while also acknowledging the challenges he faced during his career. His account has prompted interest among technology professionals because of the scale of his compensation growth over 11 years.
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