Remote Workforce Cost IndexVOL. I · MMXXVI · EDITED BY JOEL DEUTSCH

Home / Salaries — India

Salary ranges for remote workers in India, 2026.

Local employer and US employer remote monthly compensation across 15 remote-friendly roles.

Last updated: May 2026

This page reports monthly base salary data for remote workers based in India across two distinct market contexts. The local employer column reflects compensation paid by Indian companies, sourced from Glassdoor India, Payscale India, and Indeed India. The US employer remotecolumn reflects compensation paid by US-based employers for the same roles performed remotely from India, sourced from Arc.dev or estimated from BLS OES May 2024 offshore discount bands where direct data is unavailable. These two series are not interchangeable: the same role title commands materially different pay depending on the employer's country of domicile.

The offshore % column expresses the US employer remote median as a percentage of the BLS OES May 2024 US domestic median for the same occupational category. Roles marked † fall outside the expected band for their experience tier. See Methodology — offshore discount for band definitions and outlier handling.

All figures are expressed in USD. INR equivalents in the native range column are calculated at 1 USD = 96.28 INR (Exchange-Rates.org, May 16, 2026). Figures cover base salary only — equity, variable bonuses, and employer statutory contributions are excluded. For fully loaded employer costs including EPF, gratuity, equipment, and overhead, see Total Cost — India. For full methodology, see Methodology. Managed remote workforce providers such as F5 Hiring Solutions absorb statutory contributions, equipment, and overhead into a single rate; the figures in the US-employer column reflect the base salary component those providers must cover.

Section A — Software and technical roles, monthly base compensation in USD, India, 2026. Local = Glassdoor/Payscale/Indeed. US Remote = Arc.dev or BLS OES May 2024 offshore-discount estimate.
RoleExpLocal Median (USD)Local Range (USD)US Remote Median (USD)US Remote Range (USD)Native Range (INR)Offshore %Sources
Software Engineer, mid-level3–5 yrs$1,800$1,200–$2,400$4,077$3,200–$5,000₹1,15,536–₹2,31,07237%[1] [2] [3]
Senior Software Engineer5–8 yrs$2,900$2,100–$3,800$5,229$4,200–$6,500₹2,02,188–₹3,65,86447%[4] [5] [6]
Full-Stack Developer3–6 yrs$2,000$1,300–$2,800$4,020$3,100–$5,100₹1,25,164–₹2,69,58436%[7] [8] [9]
DevOps Engineer3–7 yrs$2,400$1,700–$3,200$4,241$3,300–$5,500₹1,63,676–₹3,07,69653%[10] [11] [12]
Data Analyst2–5 yrs$1,400$900–$1,900$3,000$2,400–$3,600₹86,652–₹1,82,93239%[13] [14] [15]
Data Scientist3–6 yrs$2,100$1,500–$2,800$4,207$3,300–$5,400₹1,44,420–₹2,69,58445%[16] [17] [18]
QA Engineer2–5 yrs$1,100$800–$1,600$2,039†$1,600–$2,600₹77,024–₹1,54,04824%[19] [20] [21]
AI / ML Engineer3–7 yrs$3,500$2,500–$5,000$4,800$3,800–$6,200₹2,40,700–₹4,81,40040%[22] [23] [24]
Mobile Developer (iOS / Android)3–6 yrs$2,100$1,400–$2,900$3,964$3,100–$5,000₹1,34,792–₹2,79,21236%[25] [26] [27]

† US employer remote median falls outside the expected offshore discount band for this role. See footnote for detail.

  1. Glassdoor India — Software Engineer Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/india-software-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN115_KO6,23.htm
  2. Payscale India — Software Engineer Salary, accessed May 2026. https://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=Software_Engineer/Salary
  3. Arc.dev — Remote Software Developer Salary in India 2026, accessed May 2026. https://arc.dev/salaries/software-engineers-in-india
  4. Glassdoor India — Senior Software Engineer Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/india-senior-software-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN115_KO6,31.htm
  5. Levels.fyi — Software Engineer India, accessed May 2026. https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/locations/india
  6. Arc.dev — Remote Senior Software Engineer Salary in India 2026, accessed May 2026. https://arc.dev/salaries/software-engineers-in-india
  7. Payscale India — Full Stack Developer Salary, accessed May 2026. https://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=Full_Stack_Software_Developer/Salary
  8. Indeed India — Full Stack Developer Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://in.indeed.com/career/full-stack-developer/salaries
  9. Arc.dev — Remote Full-Stack Developer Salary in India 2026, accessed May 2026. https://arc.dev/salaries/software-engineers-in-india
  10. Glassdoor India — DevOps Engineer Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/india-devops-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN115_KO6,21.htm
  11. Payscale India — DevOps Engineer Salary, accessed May 2026. https://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=Development_Operations_(DevOps)_Engineer/Salary
  12. Arc.dev — Remote DevOps Engineer Salary in India 2026, accessed May 2026. https://arc.dev/salaries/devops-engineers-in-india
  13. Glassdoor India — Data Analyst Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/data-analyst-salary-SRCH_KO0,12.htm
  14. Indeed India — Data Analyst Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://in.indeed.com/career/data-analyst/salaries
  15. Arc.dev — Remote Data Analyst Salary in India 2026 (range midpoint), accessed May 2026. https://arc.dev/salaries/data-analysts-in-india Note: Arc.dev reports a range of $2,667–$3,333/month for India data analysts employed by US companies. Median derived as midpoint of reported range.
  16. Payscale India — Data Scientist Salary, accessed May 2026. https://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=Data_Scientist/Salary
  17. Glassdoor India — Data Scientist Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/data-scientist-salary-SRCH_KO0,14.htm
  18. Arc.dev — Remote Data Scientist Salary in India 2026, accessed May 2026. https://arc.dev/salaries/data-scientists-in-india
  19. Glassdoor India — QA Engineer Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/india-qa-engineer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN115_KO6,17.htm
  20. Indeed India — QA Engineer Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://in.indeed.com/career/quality-assurance-engineer/salaries
  21. Arc.dev — Remote QA Engineer Salary in India 2026, accessed May 2026. https://arc.dev/salaries/qa-engineers-in-india Note: Reported US employer remote median (24% of BLS OES May 2024 median for Quality Control Analysts, SOC 15-1253, $8,551/month) falls below the expected India mid-level band of 30–45%. Arc.dev figure reported as collected; treat as directional. Automation QA premiums may push realized rates toward the band floor.
  22. Glassdoor India — AI/ML Engineer Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/ai-ml-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,14.htm
  23. Scaler — AI Engineer Salary in India 2026, accessed May 2026. https://www.scaler.com/blog/ai-engineer-salary-in-india-job-roles-skills-and-top-companies/
  24. Arc.dev India Data Scientist median ($4,207/month) + 15% AI/ML premium — estimated, accessed May 2026. https://arc.dev/salaries/data-scientists-in-india Note: No direct Arc.dev AI/ML Engineer India figure available as of May 2026. Figure estimated from Arc.dev India Data Scientist median ($4,207/month) with a 15% premium for AI/ML engineering scope, consistent with BLS OES spread between Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051) and Computer and Information Research Scientists (SOC 15-1221). Treat as directional.
  25. Glassdoor India — Mobile Developer Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/india-mobile-developer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN115_KO6,22.htm
  26. Indeed India — Mobile Developer Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://in.indeed.com/career/mobile-developer/salaries
  27. Arc.dev — Remote Mobile Developer Salary in India 2026, accessed May 2026. https://arc.dev/salaries/mobile-developers-in-india
Section B — Operations and design roles, monthly base compensation in USD, India, 2026. Local = Glassdoor/Payscale/Indeed. US Remote = Arc.dev or BLS OES May 2024 offshore-discount estimate.
RoleExpLocal Median (USD)Local Range (USD)US Remote Median (USD)US Remote Range (USD)Native Range (INR)Offshore %Sources
UI / UX Designer3–6 yrs$1,300$800–$1,900$3,000$2,300–$3,900₹77,024–₹1,82,93237%[28] [29] [30]
Product Manager4–8 yrs$3,000$2,000–$4,200$5,000$4,000–$6,500₹1,92,560–₹4,04,37637%[31] [32] [33]
Project Manager4–8 yrs$2,000$1,400–$2,800$3,100$2,400–$4,000₹1,34,792–₹2,69,58437%[34] [35] [36]
Customer Support Specialist1–4 yrs$700$450–$1,000$1,150$850–$1,500₹43,326–₹96,28032%[37] [38] [39]
  1. Payscale India — UX Designer Salary, accessed May 2026. https://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=UX_Designer/Salary
  2. Glassdoor India — UI/UX Designer Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/ui-ux-designer-salary-SRCH_KO0,14.htm
  3. BLS OES May 2024, SOC 15-1255 — estimated at 37% of US median, accessed May 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm Note: No direct Arc.dev UI/UX Designer India figure available as of May 2026. Figure estimated at 37% of BLS OES May 2024 median for UX Designers and UX Researchers (SOC 15-1255, $8,174/month annual median / 12 = $681/month — note: BLS annual is $98,090 / 12 = $8,174/month). Percentage consistent with Arc.dev observed offshore discount band for India mid-level roles (30–45%). Treat as directional.
  4. Glassdoor India — Product Manager Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/india-product-manager-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN115_KO6,21.htm
  5. Payscale India — Product Manager Salary, accessed May 2026. https://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=Product_Manager%2C_(Unspecified_Type)/Salary
  6. BLS OES May 2024, SOC 11-2021 — estimated at 37% of US median, accessed May 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm Note: Estimated at 37% of BLS OES May 2024 median for Marketing Managers (SOC 11-2021, $13,419/month). Product Manager remote hiring data for India is limited in public sources; figure uses observed Arc.dev India discount band (30–45% of US baseline) applied to the nearest available BLS occupational category. Treat as directional.
  7. Glassdoor India — Project Manager Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/india-project-manager-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN115_KO6,21.htm
  8. Payscale India — Project Manager Salary, accessed May 2026. https://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Job=Project_Manager%2C_IT/Salary
  9. BLS OES May 2024, SOC 13-1082 — estimated at 37% of US median, accessed May 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm Note: Estimated at 37% of BLS OES May 2024 median for Project Management Specialists (SOC 13-1082, $8,396/month). Figure uses observed Arc.dev India discount band (30–45% of US baseline). Treat as directional.
  10. Indeed India — Customer Support Specialist Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://in.indeed.com/career/customer-support-specialist/salaries
  11. Glassdoor India — Customer Support Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/india-customer-support-specialist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN115_KO6,33.htm
  12. BLS OES May 2024, SOC 43-4051 — estimated at 32% of US median, accessed May 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm Note: Estimated at 32% of BLS OES May 2024 median for Customer Service Representatives (SOC 43-4051, $3,570/month). Reflects offshore discount pattern observed for non-technical roles in India. Treat as directional.
Section C — Specialized roles, monthly base compensation in USD, India, 2026. Local = Glassdoor/Payscale/Indeed. US Remote = Arc.dev or BLS OES May 2024 offshore-discount estimate.
RoleExpLocal Median (USD)Local Range (USD)US Remote Median (USD)US Remote Range (USD)Native Range (INR)Offshore %Sources
Medical Billing Specialist2–6 yrs$800$550–$1,100$1,350$1,000–$1,800₹52,954–₹1,05,90832%[40] [41] [42]
CAD Drafter2–5 yrs$650$450–$950$1,800$1,400–$2,300₹43,326–₹91,46631%[43] [44] [45]
  1. Glassdoor India — Medical Billing Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/india-medical-billing-specialist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN115_KO6,32.htm
  2. Indeed India — Medical Billing Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://in.indeed.com/career/medical-billing-specialist/salaries
  3. BLS OES May 2024, SOC 29-2072 — estimated at 32% of US median, accessed May 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm Note: Estimated at 32% of BLS OES May 2024 median for Medical Records Specialists (SOC 29-2072, $4,188/month). No direct Arc.dev medical billing India figure available as of May 2026. CPC- or CCS-certified billers serving US healthcare clients may command the upper portion of the range. Treat as directional.
  4. Indeed India — CAD Drafter Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://in.indeed.com/career/cad-drafter/salaries
  5. Glassdoor India — CAD Drafter Salaries, accessed May 2026. https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/india-cad-drafter-salary-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN115_KO6,17.htm
  6. BLS OES May 2024, SOC 17-3011 — estimated at 31% of US median, accessed May 2026. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm Note: Estimated at 31% of BLS OES May 2024 median for Architectural and Civil Drafters (SOC 17-3011, $5,738/month). No direct Arc.dev CAD/BIM drafter India figure available as of May 2026. AutoCAD/Revit specialists serving US AEC firms with English-language documentation capability command the upper range. Treat as directional.

Edited by Joel Deutsch, Remote Workforce Cost Index. Data sourced from public salary databases. See Methodology for full source list, collection method, and limitations.