Report: Average salary hike in India likely to be 9% in 2022

The salaries of people employed in the private sector may likely rise by 8-12 per cent, according to a latest report. Due to a more favourable investment outlook, India Inc is likely to give an average hike of 9 per cent salary hike this year.

The investment outlook has become more favourable, especially in manufacturing and infrastructure development. The standard salary enhancement in 2022 is going to be 9 per cent against 7 per cent in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, according to the Michael Page Salary Report 2022

Together with the unicorns, startups and new-age corporations are set to lead this trend with a commonly estimated hike of 12 per cent, it added. Growth sectors include the banking and financial services industry, property and construction, and manufacturing, the report noted.

The report added that senior-level professionals with computer science backgrounds would be in an excellent position to negotiate for some of the highest paying jobs in India due to the growth of e-commerce and other sectors undergoing digital transformation.

The report further said that data scientists (especially those familiar with machine learning), web developers, and cloud architects would be in high demand, especially if they have a bachelor's degree or a master's degree from a top-rated university.

It added that the average salary of technologists is expected to be higher than professionals with similar educational qualifications in other job functions.

The report further stated that companies are now looking at retaining top performers with various offers, including shorter – quarterly or half-yearly – appraisal cycles, promotions, variable pay-outs, stock incentives, retention bonuses, and mid-term increments.

The report observed that employers do not expect any further significant impact of the pandemic on the market and are buoyant about future business plans.

High-performing individuals and employees with niche skills can expect above-average increments (20-25 per cent or even more on a case-by-case basis) as most organisations have become nimble to retain their top talent, the report added.