Professionals in Bengaluru are the highest-paid with their average annual salaries at Rs 10.8 lakh, while pharma and healthcare sectors in the country doles out the maximum pay, says a report.
![Bengaluru has been ranked the highest-paying city in India in 2018, according to a survey by Randstad India.](https://images.thequint.com/thequint%2F2018-04%2F6e868459-db4c-496b-9467-b050ac69f02d%2FHighest_paying_City_DH.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&fmt=webp&width=720)
The IT capital of India, Bengaluru, pays the highest with an average annual Cost to Company (CTC) for talent across all levels and functions at Rs 10.8 lakh, followed by Pune at Rs 10.3 lakh, NCR (National Capital Region) at Rs 9.9 lakh and Mumbai at Rs 9.2 lakh.
Chennai (Rs 8 lakh), Hyderabad (Rs 7.9 lakh) and Kolkata (Rs 7.2 lakh) are the other three names on the list of Indian cities paying the highest average salaries for professionals.
Sector-wise, professionals from the pharma and healthcare industries are paid the highest in India with an average annual CTC of Rs 9.6 lakh across all levels and functions, the report said.
The roll-out of GST saw a spike in demand for implementation and compliance specialists, thus making professional services the second highest paying sector in the country, with an average salary of Rs 9.4 lakh, it added. FMCG is the third highest paying industry with an average CTC of Rs 9.2 lakh.
The IT sector, offering an average annual CTC of Rs 9.1 lakh, is ranked fourth on the list. Infrastructure, real estate and construction at Rs 9 lakh stood at fifth position on the chart.
In terms of job function, consulting and advisory is the highest paying, according to Randstad Insights, the research and analysis division of Randstad India.
There are some roles where talent in 6-10 year experience bracket is paid relatively higher remuneration. Specialist doctors top the chart with an average annual CTC at Rs 18.4 lakh, followed by solution architects at a CTC of Rs 15.1 lakh, product engineering specialists at Rs 14.8 lakh and blockchain technology experts at a CTC of Rs 14.6 lakh.
A strong salary structure that strikes a perfect balance between internal and external pay equity is an imperative today for the organisations as it’s often the key to bring top talent on board and keep them motivated.Paul Dupuis, Randstad India MD & CEO
Randstad Insights Salary Trends Report 2018 analysed 1,00,000 jobs across 20 industry verticals and 15 functions.
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