Salary Calculator & CTC Benchmark
Compare salaries by role and location. Data based on 2025-2026 market rates.
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Sign up for DecaJobs — get salary-matched jobs daily →Understanding Salary Benchmarking & Negotiation
Knowing your market value is the most powerful tool you have when negotiating a new job offer. Salary benchmarking allows you to compare compensation packages for similar roles, locations, and experience levels, ensuring you are paid fairly.
How is CTC (Cost to Company) Structured?
In many regions, especially India, compensation is discussed as CTC. It is important to look beyond the total number and understand the component breakdown:
- Basic Salary: The core taxable component, which typically forms 30% to 50% of your CTC.
- Allowances: House Rent Allowance (HRA), Leave Travel Allowance (LTA), and other special allowances designed to reduce tax liability.
- Variable Pay / Performance Bonus: A performance-linked component. Ensure you know what percentage is guaranteed vs. conditional.
- Retirements & Benefits: Provident Fund (PF) contributions, Gratuity, and health insurance premiums paid by the employer (often deducted from gross CTC).
- Stock Options / RSUs: Equity incentives (common in tech and startups) that vest over multiple years.
5 Steps to Negotiate a 20-40% Higher Salary
1. Benchmarking early
Research salaries before your first interview. Use this calculator, along with sources like Levels.fyi and Glassdoor, to find the 25th, 50th (median), and 75th percentiles for the role.
2. Let the employer make the first offer
Avoid disclosing your salary expectations too early. If forced, provide a range based on your research: "Based on the market rate for this role, I expect a package between X and Y."
3. Emphasize value, not your personal expenses
When asking for more, frame it around the value you bring to the team, your achievements, and the market benchmark — never mention rent, loans, or personal expenses.
4. Leverage competing job offers
Having another written offer is the strongest leverage. Employers are more willing to stretch their budget if they know you are in demand.
5. Negotiate the entire package
If the base salary is fixed, negotiate sign-on bonuses, relocation assistance, remote flexibility, or learning budgets which can offset a lower base pay.