<p>Bengaluru: For entry-level employees, Bengaluru is the preferred city, as it offers the highest salary package compared to other tier-1 cities. Bengaluru leads in the junior level average salaries with Rs 7.16 lakh CTC and stands a close second in the middle level with Rs 18.90 lakh package. While the national average CTC at junior level is Rs 5.84 lakh, it is Rs 16.70 lakh for middle-level employees.</p><p>According to the Randstad Annual Salary Trends Report 2025–26, Bengaluru comes fourth in the senior level (Rs 33.55 lakh). The city, which is home to 40% of the country's engineering research and development (ER&D) expertise, houses 25% of the IT workforce, and more than 3,200 tech startups.</p><p>The report also reveals that software developer (Rs 17.27 lakh) is the top paying job for mid-level professionals, followed by PHP developer (Rs 16.86 lakh) and Javascript developer (Rs 16.72 lakh).</p>.AI, data engineers to see 10-12% salary growth in 2026.<p>It also highlights that the average CTC at the senior level (Rs 28.38 lakh) in tier-2 cities has witnessed a significant increase over the previous year. As tier-2 cities are emerging as strong GCC (global capability centre) hubs, these cities show a significant rise in average senior level salaries over the previous year.</p><p>IT commands the highest salaries across all levels, with average CTCs of Rs 6.65 lakh (junior), Rs 20.75 lakh (middle), and Rs 35.66 lakh (senior). Due to high demand for advanced skills and specialised roles in cloud computing, AI/ML, security, data, and DevOps, the demand for roles such as software developers and engineers, tech support specialists, and system analysts also continue to be high.</p>.Watch | 'Quitting my job tomorrow': Bengaluru Gen Z quits job, sparks debate on burnout.<p>Viswanath PS, MD & CEO, Randstad India, a talent company, said, “As we step into 2026, the Indian job market is witnessing a profound shift where value is no longer defined by traditional roles, but by a 'digital premium' on specialized, future-ready skills. The emergence of high-impact 'hot jobs'—centered around software development, product management, and data engineering—reinforces that technology is the ultimate equalizer in our economy."</p><p>He added that they are seeing a remarkable surge in senior-level compensation across tier-2 cities, with many regional hubs now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with tier-1 metros.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: For entry-level employees, Bengaluru is the preferred city, as it offers the highest salary package compared to other tier-1 cities. Bengaluru leads in the junior level average salaries with Rs 7.16 lakh CTC and stands a close second in the middle level with Rs 18.90 lakh package. While the national average CTC at junior level is Rs 5.84 lakh, it is Rs 16.70 lakh for middle-level employees.</p><p>According to the Randstad Annual Salary Trends Report 2025–26, Bengaluru comes fourth in the senior level (Rs 33.55 lakh). The city, which is home to 40% of the country's engineering research and development (ER&D) expertise, houses 25% of the IT workforce, and more than 3,200 tech startups.</p><p>The report also reveals that software developer (Rs 17.27 lakh) is the top paying job for mid-level professionals, followed by PHP developer (Rs 16.86 lakh) and Javascript developer (Rs 16.72 lakh).</p>.AI, data engineers to see 10-12% salary growth in 2026.<p>It also highlights that the average CTC at the senior level (Rs 28.38 lakh) in tier-2 cities has witnessed a significant increase over the previous year. As tier-2 cities are emerging as strong GCC (global capability centre) hubs, these cities show a significant rise in average senior level salaries over the previous year.</p><p>IT commands the highest salaries across all levels, with average CTCs of Rs 6.65 lakh (junior), Rs 20.75 lakh (middle), and Rs 35.66 lakh (senior). Due to high demand for advanced skills and specialised roles in cloud computing, AI/ML, security, data, and DevOps, the demand for roles such as software developers and engineers, tech support specialists, and system analysts also continue to be high.</p>.Watch | 'Quitting my job tomorrow': Bengaluru Gen Z quits job, sparks debate on burnout.<p>Viswanath PS, MD & CEO, Randstad India, a talent company, said, “As we step into 2026, the Indian job market is witnessing a profound shift where value is no longer defined by traditional roles, but by a 'digital premium' on specialized, future-ready skills. The emergence of high-impact 'hot jobs'—centered around software development, product management, and data engineering—reinforces that technology is the ultimate equalizer in our economy."</p><p>He added that they are seeing a remarkable surge in senior-level compensation across tier-2 cities, with many regional hubs now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with tier-1 metros.</p>