Media & entertainment sees Rs 17.03 lakh mid-level pay amid OTT & digital growth: Report

Senior-level salaries in India’s Tier II cities have risen sharply, with average compensation reaching Rs 28.38 lakh, narrowing the gap with major metros, according to the Randstad Annual Salary Trends Report 2025-26.

The report said India’s compensation landscape is entering a more mature phase, marked by stable pay levels in Tier I cities, rising demand for niche skills, and the growing importance of Tier II cities as high-paying talent hubs.

Despite economic and geopolitical uncertainty over the past year, Tier I salaries remained resilient, with national averages of Rs 5.92 lakh at the junior level, Rs 16.70 lakh at the middle level, and Rs 32.40 lakh at the senior level.

Organisations are moving away from uniform salary hikes and adopting targeted, data-driven pay strategies that link compensation more closely to productivity, skills and retention.

One of the key findings was the sharp rise in senior-level pay in Tier II cities, where compensation is increasingly comparable with Tier I markets. The report said this reflects the growth of Global Capability Centers and rising demand for leadership, domain expertise and advanced technology skills outside major metros.

Cities including Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Thane, Surat, Jaipur, Vadodara, Bhopal and Indore were identified as emerging talent hubs, supported by infrastructure investments, digital initiatives and manufacturing growth.

Among Tier I cities, Mumbai continued to lead compensation at the middle and senior levels, while Bengaluru remained dominant at the junior level and was nearly on par with Mumbai at the middle level.

By sector, IT remained the highest-paying industry across all experience bands, with average salaries of Rs 6.65 lakh at the junior level, Rs 20.75 lakh at the middle level and Rs 35.66 lakh at the senior level. Demand for skills in AI, machine learning, cloud computing, cybersecurity, data and DevOps continues to outstrip supply, the report said.

Other sectors showing strong salary momentum included energy and utilities, IT-enabled services, infrastructure and construction. Media and entertainment also reported competitive pay at the middle level, with average salaries of Rs 17.03 lakh, driven largely by digital and OTT growth.

Among middle-level professionals, the highest-paying roles included software developer (Rs 17.27 lakh), PHP developer (Rs 16.86 lakh), JavaScript developer (Rs 16.72 lakh), product manager (Rs 16.25 lakh) and cloud architect (Rs 16.03 lakh).

Commenting on the findings, Viswanath PS, MD & CEO, Randstad India, 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."

He added, "Our report indicates that the decentralisation of growth is arguably the most significant aspect of India’s employment landscape; we 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. This democratization of high-value opportunity, coupled with a steady salary performance across diverse sectors like Energy & Utilities, BFSI, Telecom, Media & Entertainment, highlights a resilient and multi-industry economic engine. From an employer’s perspective, today, organisations are prioritizing a balanced blend of work flexibility, holistic well-being, and personalized benefits to attract and retain high-caliber talent. In this digital-first era, the focus for India Inc. is on building a future-ready workforce where the value proposition is deeply rooted in purpose and continuous skilling. All in all, the focus has evolved from simple pay raises to a holistic 'total rewards' philosophy that balances competitive compensation with intangible incentives, ensuring that India remains a global powerhouse for innovation and sustainable talent building."

The report also noted a decline in overall attrition, from 18.3% in 2023 to 17.5% in 2024, as companies increasingly focus on retention-led compensation strategies, including targeted pay premiums and long-term incentives.

Randstad said Tier II cities are projected to account for nearly 60% of new job creation by 2026, driven largely by the expansion of Global Capability Centers and demand for future-ready skills.