Blue- and grey-collar salaries in India rise 23 per cent in 2 years: Report

The salaries of India's blue- and grey-collar workforce have increased by 23 per cent over the past two years, reflecting the growing demand and opportunities for the skilled workforce, a report said on Tuesday.

The overall salaries have grown by 23 per cent in just two years, reflecting the rising demand and opportunities for India's blue and grey-collar workforce, WorkIndia's Salary Report 2025 stated.

The WorkIndia Salary Report 2025 is based on an analysis of 1.93 lakh job seekers' data from 2023 to August 2025.

However, the report revealed that male workers witnessed a faster pace of salary growth at 9 per cent, compared to women workers at 6 per cent, highlighting the persistence of gender pay inequality.

Meanwhile, non-metro cities have emerged as growth engines, recording an average 14 per cent increase in salaries, outpacing metro cities where salaries rose by 10 per cent, it said.

Full-time employment continued to see steady salary increases of 10-15 per cent each year, while part-time jobs experienced volatility, with a massive 32 per cent jump in 2024, followed by a 12 per cent dip in 2025.

Work-from-office roles demonstrated consistent double-digit growth across the period, in contrast to work-from-home jobs, which stagnated with no significant gains, the report revealed.

Further, the report found that freshers, too, are benefiting from the changing job market, with salaries growing by 12-13 per cent from 2024 to 2025.

Experienced professionals saw steady increases ranging between 8 per cent and 14 per cent, annually, it said.

Educational qualifications played a decisive role in pay hikes, as graduates registered the sharpest salary jump, with average maximum salaries rising by 18 per cent in 2025, added the report.

At an industry level, the IT sector emerged as the biggest gainer with a 31 per cent surge in average minimum salaries, while Typist and Data Entry roles posted a dramatic 45 per cent rise, said the report.

Steady upward growth was also observed in Engineering and Interior and Design, at 10 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively, it stated.

However, it revealed that several industries faced headwinds, with salaries declining sharply in labour - 32 per cent, Accounts and Finance - 15 per cent, and in sectors like Health care, Sales, and Office, which saw reductions of around 10 per cent.

The Law sector recorded a 15 per cent increase, while Automobile, Domestic Work, and Manufacturing maintained steady 9 per cent growth, it stated.

"The 23 per cent salary growth over the past two years shows that opportunities for India's blue- and grey-collar workforce are expanding rapidly. Yet persistent gender gaps, industry inequalities, and wage volatility remind us that there's still work to be done," WorkIndia co-founder and CEO Nilesh Dungarwal added.