Mocked for Rs 2.16 LPA, he now earns Rs 92.5 LPA: How a non-IIT engineer built a high-paying tech career step by step
The Breakout Year: From Rs 12.5 LPA to Rs 25 LPA
The Big Leap: 92.5 LPA After 9 Years
In India's tech industry, graduates from top-tier institutes often seem to dominate the conversation around high-paying jobs. But the career of one non-IIT engineer proves that perseverance, learning on the job, and making the right career moves can build a strong path to success—no elite degree required. Over the course of nine years, this engineer rose from a modest Rs 2.16 LPA salary to earning Rs 92.5 LPA, navigating industry shifts, layoffs, and setbacks, all without relying on pedigree or privilege.The techie anonymously revealed in a Reddit post that back in 2016, fresh out of a tier-3 college with a BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering, he secured his first job through mass hiring. The salary was Rs 2.16 LPA. While undergoing Java training, he faced ridicule from family—most notably, a cousin who joked that working at the family's retail shop would pay more. It was a demoralising moment, but he stayed the course.In 2017, he got a modest salary hike to Rs 3.35 LPA, followed by a major move that brought him to a product-based company with a Rs 6.5 LPA package. The transition into the frontend domain opened up more technical responsibilities. However, despite these gains, he struggled with interviews and felt limited by the narrow skillset shaped by his job role. He remained in the same company until 2020, receiving yearly hikes—reaching Rs 12.5 LPA.When COVID-19 hit, his employer used the crisis to delay perks and bonuses, prompting him to reassess his growth. He began upskilling with renewed focus and appeared for interviews again. This pivot led to a game-changing offer from a fast-paced startup offering Rs 25 LPA (including ESOPs). The new role pushed him into a wide range of responsibilities. Though the startup eventually shut down, it turned out to be a vital learning experience.Capitalizing on the knowledge and confidence he had built, he switched jobs again in 2021 and landed a Rs 51 LPA package. In the following years, his salary steadily climbed to Rs 52 LPA, then to Rs 56.5 LPA, and eventually to Rs 60.8 LPA in 2024—each move being a result of smart decision-making and performance-led hikes.Even during tough times, including layoffs at his company, he remained unfazed. He took a short break and soon began applying for jobs again.By 2025, nine years into his journey, he cracked a role offering Rs 92.5 LPA (Rs 80L fixed + Rs 5L variable + ESOPs). He didn't require extra preparation for interviews by then, as he had already accumulated a solid understanding of both domain and system-level responsibilities. Today, he earns more in a single day than he did in an entire month at the start of his career.The cousin who once mocked him now seeks his investment and uses his success as a lesson for his own children.
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