Bengaluru: A recent report revealed that over 70% (77%) of professionals in India expect significant salary growth in their industry, while 20% anticipate no change and only 3% foresee a decline. However, the job market also reveals a clear divide in salary satisfaction, with many professionals expressing dissatisfaction with their compensation growth, though some industries report higher levels of contentment.

The survey, conducted by jobs platform foundit (formerly Monster APAC and ME), found that 47% of professionals are unhappy with their salary growth, citing factors such as low increments and unmet expectations. Meanwhile, 25% of respondents expressed neutrality, acknowledging limited salary growth but not considering it a major concern.

The report also highlighted that just 46% of respondents believe their salary is above average, while 40% feel it is below industry standards.

Interestingly, 14 per cent remain unaware of salary benchmarks in their field. Overall, as professionals gain experience, salary awareness improves, and dissatisfaction steadily declines, according to the report. In the entry-level (0-3 years), over half (51 per cent) lack awareness of salary benchmarks -- the highest among all experience levels.

About 31 per cent feel underpaid, with dissatisfaction peaking in BFSI (42 per cent). At the mid-level (7-10 years), dissatisfaction further declines to 18 per cent and 22 per cent consider their pay above industry norms, with IT-Software leading.

At the senior and executive (11+ years) level, 18 per cent of senior professionals and 18 per cent of executives believe their salaries exceed industry benchmarks, the report noted. When it comes to appraisal, 35 per cent of professionals expect only a minimal hike (0-10 per cent), highlighting conservative salary growth expectations across industries, and 29 per cent anticipate a moderate growth (11-20 per cent) increment.

Entry-level professionals are the most polarised, While 20 per cent expect a minimal hike (0-10 per cent), a notable 11 per cent anticipate a high appraisal (30 per cent and above). This reflects both early career pay stagnation and strong optimism among a select group. IANS