In-hand salary calculator: what your CTC really pays per month
FY 2025-26 assumptions (new tax regime) · Indicative — exact structure varies by company
Offer letters talk in CTC. Your bank account talks in in-hand. Enter your package to see the realistic monthly amount — and exactly where the difference goes.
| Monthly gross (fixed) | — |
| − Employee PF (12% of basic) | — |
| − Professional tax | — |
| − Income tax (new regime, approx.) | — |
| Inside CTC but never monthly: employer PF + gratuity |
Assumptions: employer PF = 12% of basic (inside CTC), gratuity = 4.81% of basic, professional tax ₹200/month, new-regime slabs FY 2025-26 with ₹75,000 standard deduction and Section 87A rebate, variable pay excluded from monthly. Every company structures CTC differently — treat this as a close estimate, not a payslip.
The quick reference table
Every band below has its own page with the full breakdown and the companies that pay it.
| CTC | Monthly in-hand* | What this band is |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 LPA | ₹17,600–₹18,500 | The floor of the organised fresher market — common in BPO, support and small-firm roles. |
| 2.8 LPA | ₹19,800–₹20,800 | A common non-IT and support-function fresher band, and frequent in smaller-city roles. |
| 3 LPA | ₹21,200–₹22,300 | The round number a lot of first offers cluster just above or below. |
| 3.4 LPA | ₹24,100–₹25,300 | The classic mass-recruiter entry band — TCS Ninja territory, and the most-searched fresher package in India. |
| 3.6 LPA | ₹25,500–₹26,800 | A step above the entry tier — the Infosys System Engineer neighbourhood. |
| 4 LPA | ₹28,300–₹29,800 | The common graduate-trainee band at mid-tier services firms and consultancies. |
| 4.5 LPA | ₹31,900–₹33,500 | The Associate Software Engineer band — Accenture ASE, Cognizant GenC territory. |
| 5 LPA | ₹35,500–₹37,300 | Above the standard services band — specialised tracks, better mid-tier offers, strong non-IT roles. |
| 6 LPA | ₹42,600–₹44,800 | Digital and specialist track territory — roughly double the entry band. |
| 6.5 LPA | ₹46,200–₹48,500 | The upper specialist band at services firms — Wipro Turbo, LTIMindtree specialist neighbourhood. |
| 7 LPA | ₹49,700–₹52,300 | TCS Digital and equivalents — the premium services tier. |
| 8 LPA | ₹56,900–₹59,700 | Product-company entry and top-end services offers. |
| 9 LPA | ₹64,000–₹67,200 | Top services tier and mainstream product-company offers — Infosys SP, TCS Prime territory. |
| 10 LPA | ₹71,100–₹74,700 | A strong product-company or specialist fresher offer. |
| 12 LPA | ₹85,400–₹89,700 | The top of realistic fresher offers — and the point where income tax finally starts. |
*Assuming no variable component, across the common 35–50% basic split; actual structures vary. These rows are computed with the same code as the calculator above, so they cannot drift from it. See all salary bands.
The salary is decided in the interview
Digital and specialist tracks pay 2× the base offers — and the same exam sitting decides which one you get. Practise the harder interview free with Phiny's AI.
Start a free AI mock interviewFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between CTC and in-hand salary?
CTC (cost to company) is everything the employer spends on you: gross salary plus employer PF contribution, gratuity provision, insurance and sometimes one-time or variable components. In-hand is what reaches your bank account monthly after employee PF, professional tax and income tax are deducted. For a fully fixed fresher offer, in-hand works out at roughly 86–88% of CTC across the year. Add variable pay to the package and the monthly share drops sharply — variable is not paid monthly at all, so a CTC with a ₹50,000 bonus component behaves like a package ₹50,000 smaller every month.
Why is my in-hand so much lower than CTC ÷ 12?
Four main reasons: the employer's own PF contribution and gratuity are inside CTC but never paid monthly; your employee PF (12% of basic) is deducted; professional tax (~₹200/month in most states) is deducted; and any variable pay/joining bonus in the CTC isn't part of the monthly fixed salary.
Do freshers earning ₹4–7 LPA pay income tax?
Under the new tax regime (FY 2025-26), taxable income up to ₹12 lakh effectively attracts zero tax after the Section 87A rebate, plus a ₹75,000 standard deduction. So most fresher packages result in little or no income tax — your main deductions are PF and professional tax. Figures are indicative; confirm current-year rules.
Is variable pay part of in-hand salary?
No — variable pay (performance bonus) is paid quarterly or annually based on ratings, and many companies pay 70–100% of it. When comparing offers, compare the FIXED component; treat variable as a bonus, not salary.
Which is better: higher basic or higher allowances?
Higher basic means more PF savings (good long-term, lower in-hand now) and higher gratuity. Higher allowances mean more in-hand today. Freshers usually can't negotiate the split — but understanding it explains why two identical CTCs can have different in-hand amounts.