Freshers Salary Trends After 2026 Hiring Updates
If you’re graduating in 2026, one question dominates everything:
What salary can freshers realistically expect now?
After hiring slowdowns, layoffs, and AI integration, salary expectations have shifted.
Some people say salaries dropped.
Others say AI roles are paying more than ever.
The truth lies somewhere in between.
Let’s analyze the actual trend.
What Changed in Fresher Hiring
Between 2020 and 2022, tech hiring was aggressive.
Companies over-hired.
Startups raised massive funding.
Entry-level salaries inflated quickly.
Then came correction.
By 2024–2025:
Funding tightened.
Hiring slowed.
Skill filtering increased.
By 2026, the market stabilized — but with stricter standards.
Freshers now face higher expectations than before.
Current Entry-Level Salary Ranges (India 2026)
For most service-based IT companies, fresher salaries remain in the ₹3–4 LPA range.
These roles typically include:
Support engineering
Basic development roles
Maintenance projects
For strong backend or full-stack candidates in product companies, salaries often range from ₹6–10 LPA.
Specialized roles such as:
Cloud engineering
DevOps
AI/ML
Cybersecurity
Can start between ₹7–12 LPA for highly skilled freshers.
The gap between average and skilled candidates has widened.
Why the Gap Is Increasing
Companies now prioritize:
Project depth
Deployment knowledge
Problem-solving skills
System understanding
Earlier, completing a coding course could be enough.
Now, freshers are expected to:
Explain architecture.
Understand databases deeply.
Deploy applications.
Optimize performance.
Surface-level preparation leads to low offers.
Depth leads to higher bands.
Impact of AI on Fresher Salaries
AI has not reduced demand for engineers.
But it has reduced tolerance for weak developers.
Basic coding tasks are increasingly automated.
Companies now expect freshers to:
Think logically.
Debug independently.
Understand code they didn’t write.
Those who adapt earn more.
Those who depend entirely on tools struggle.
AI increases the skill threshold, not necessarily reduces opportunity.
Service vs Product Company Salary Trend
Service companies remain stable entry points.
They hire in volume but offer moderate salaries.
Product companies hire fewer freshers but offer higher compensation.
In 2026:
Service roles offer stability and structured growth.
Product roles offer higher initial salary but require stronger technical depth.
Your preparation level determines which path you qualify for.
The Reality of “High Package” Stories
Social media often highlights ₹20–30 LPA fresher packages.
These exist — but they are rare.
They usually involve:
Top-tier colleges
Exceptional DSA performance
Strong competitive coding background
Rigorous interview preparation
Comparing average placement to outliers creates unrealistic expectations.
Focus on improving your baseline, not chasing viral salary posts.
How Freshers Can Increase Salary in 2026
The salary difference between ₹4 LPA and ₹8 LPA often depends on preparation quality.
Candidates who:
Build real backend projects.
Understand system basics.
Practice DSA consistently.
Learn SQL properly.
Deploy projects on cloud.
Position themselves for higher bands.
Communication skill also plays a major role in final offers.
Long-Term Perspective
Initial salary matters.
But growth matters more.
A fresher starting at ₹4 LPA who upgrades skills aggressively can reach ₹12–18 LPA within 3–4 years.
A fresher starting at ₹8 LPA who stops learning may stagnate.
The first job is entry, not destiny.
Skill compounding determines long-term income.