We Analyzed 2,500+ Anonymous Salary Submissions on Underpaid

All data is crowdsourced and self-reported. We don't verify individual submissions. Treat these as directional, not absolute.

We excluded interns and entry-level data. What's left is mid-career and up - exactly the people who should know what they're worth.

The numbers are uncomfortable.

42% Is the Median, Not the Exception

Take any company in our data with two or more people in the same role at the same level - Software Engineer L4 at Company X, Product Manager L5 at Company Y.

Look at the gap between the highest and lowest reported salary.

The median gap is 42%.

Half of all these "same job, same level, same employer" pairs differ by more than that. One in four differ by more than 70%.

Two people doing the same job at the same desk, with the same title and the same level - and one earns nearly double.

Your Promotion Isn't a Raise

This one might sting more.

Across companies where we have data on both Mid (L4) and Senior (L5) employees in the same role, the median jump in total pay is just ₹3L.

Senior to Staff is even worse.

Across companies with both levels, the median pay jump is ₹0.

The promotion happens. The title changes. The LinkedIn announcement goes out. The bank balance barely moves.

The data shows only one transition pays meaningfully - Staff (L6) to Principal (L7), where the median jump is around ₹16L.

Everything before that is mostly cosmetic.

Where the Median Salaries Actually Sit

If you want to know whether your number is in the right range, these are the medians from our data by experience, excluding entry-level:

If you're below the median for your bracket, you're not "just slightly off market."

You're below half of the people doing what you do.

Why This Happens

Three patterns show up across the data.

1. Hiring Timing Decides Your Pay Band

Joining during a hiring spree gets you the premium offer. Joining six months later gets the "revised" band. Same role, same title, very different paycheck - and that gap follows you for years.

2. Your Starting Salary Compounds Against You

A 10% annual raise on a low base still leaves you behind someone who negotiated 20% higher on day one. Internal raises rarely close that gap.

3. The Market Jumps Faster Than Internal Bands

Companies adjust salaries 8–15% per year. The market moves 20–30% for hot roles. The math means switching jobs almost always pays more than getting promoted.

The data agrees.

What You Can Do

Stop guessing. Check if you're underpaid → iamunderpaid.com - 30 seconds, anonymous, and you'll see how your number compares to thousands of others in your role and experience bracket.

Already checked? Explore salary data by company to see what bands look like elsewhere, or browse open roles that pay more.

Companies benefit from salary secrecy. You don't.

Every anonymous submission on Underpaid makes the data sharper for everyone else.

If this post made you uncomfortable, that's the point.

Go check your number →