Complete breakdown of Cognizant salaries in India - from fresher to senior leadership, including hikes, bonuses, and benefits.
Fresher Salary
₹3.5-4.5 LPA
Annual Hike
5-12%
Senior Level
₹20-60 LPA
Variable Pay
10-25%
₹3.5 LPA
Min (Fresher)
₹10 LPA
Median
₹2 Cr+
Max (Executive)
5-30%
Hike Range
9 Levels
Career Ladder
Complete career ladder from Trainee to VP
| Designation | Level | Experience | CTC (Annual) | Take Home | Variable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Programmer Analyst Trainee (PAT) Campus hiring, 3-6 month training period | Entry | 0 years | ₹3.5-4.5 LPA | ₹25,000-32,000/month | ₹0-15,000 |
Programmer Analyst (PA) Post-training designation | L1 | 0-2 years | ₹4-6 LPA | ₹28,000-42,000/month | ₹10,000-30,000 |
Associate First major promotion | L2 | 2-4 years | ₹5.5-8 LPA | ₹38,000-55,000/month | ₹20,000-50,000 |
Sr. Associate Technical specialization expected | L3 | 4-6 years | ₹7-12 LPA | ₹48,000-80,000/month | ₹40,000-80,000 |
Manager People management or technical track | L4 | 6-9 years | ₹11-18 LPA | ₹75,000-1.2 LPA/month | ₹60,000-1.2 LPA |
Senior Manager Strategic leadership role | L5 | 9-12 years | ₹16-28 LPA | ₹1.1-1.9 LPA/month | ₹1-2 LPA |
Associate Director Business unit leadership | L6 | 12-15 years | ₹25-40 LPA | ₹1.7-2.7 LPA/month | ₹2-4 LPA |
Director Multi-team leadership | L7 | 15-18 years | ₹38-60 LPA | ₹2.5-4 LPA/month | ₹4-8 LPA |
Senior Director Strategic business leadership | L8 | 18+ years | ₹55-85 LPA | ₹3.5-5.5 LPA/month | ₹6-12 LPA |
VP & Above C-suite and executive roles | Executive | 20+ years | ₹80 LPA - ₹2 Cr+ | ₹5+ LPA/month | ₹10+ LPA |
How different technologies and roles affect compensation
0-2 / 3-5 / 6-10 years
₹4-6 LPA / ₹7-12 LPA / ₹13-22 LPA
0-2 / 3-5 / 6-10 years
₹4-5.5 LPA / ₹6-11 LPA / ₹12-20 LPA
0-2 / 3-5 / 6-10 years
₹4.5-6.5 LPA / ₹8-14 LPA / ₹15-25 LPA
0-2 / 3-5 / 6-10 years
₹5-7 LPA / ₹9-15 LPA / ₹16-28 LPA
0-2 / 3-5 / 6-10 years
₹5-7 LPA / ₹9-16 LPA / ₹18-30 LPA
0-2 / 3-5 / 6-10 years
₹5.5-8 LPA / ₹10-18 LPA / ₹20-35 LPA
0-2 / 3-5 / 6-10 years
₹6-9 LPA / ₹12-22 LPA / ₹25-45 LPA
3-5 / 6-10 / 10+ years
₹12-20 LPA / ₹22-38 LPA / ₹40-65 LPA
0-2 / 3-5 / 6-10 years
₹4-6 LPA / ₹7-13 LPA / ₹14-24 LPA
0-2 / 3-5 / 6-10 years
₹3.5-5 LPA / ₹6-10 LPA / ₹11-18 LPA
5-8 / 8-12 / 12+ years
₹12-20 LPA / ₹18-32 LPA / ₹30-50 LPA
8-12 / 12+ years
₹25-45 LPA / ₹45-75 LPA
Based on performance rating. Rating 1: 10-15%, Rating 2: 6-10%, Rating 3: 3-5%
Significant increase when moving to next designation level
When changing technology or domain within Cognizant
Retention offers for high performers with external offers
Periodic adjustments to match market rates
All employees based on company and individual performance
₹10,000 - ₹2 LPA
Annual
Specific projects and delivery milestones
₹5,000 - ₹50,000
Quarterly
Exceptional contributions and customer appreciation
₹2,000 - ₹25,000
Ad-hoc
Successful referral hiring based on role level
₹15,000 - ₹75,000
Per hire
Senior Manager and above levels
RSUs/Stock
Annual
Total benefits add 15-20% to your CTC
Family floater policy covering spouse and children
Death and disability coverage
Employer matching contribution to EPF
Payable after 5 years of service
Unused leave can be encashed annually
Subsidized meals at office cafeteria
Cab facility or transport allowance
Certifications and training programs
How Cognizant salaries compare to other IT services companies
| Company | Fresher | Mid-Level (4-6 yrs) | Senior (10+ yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cognizant | ₹3.5-4.5 LPA | ₹8-15 LPA | ₹18-35 LPA |
| TCS | ₹3.3-4 LPA | ₹7-12 LPA | ₹15-28 LPA |
| Infosys | ₹3.5-4.5 LPA | ₹8-14 LPA | ₹16-30 LPA |
| Wipro | ₹3.5-4.2 LPA | ₹7-13 LPA | ₹14-26 LPA |
| Accenture | ₹4.5-6 LPA | ₹10-18 LPA | ₹22-45 LPA |
| Capgemini | ₹3.8-4.5 LPA | ₹8-14 LPA | ₹17-32 LPA |
*Salaries vary based on location, skills, and negotiation. Product companies typically pay 30-100% more.
Lateral hires have more negotiation power. Research market rates and negotiate base salary aggressively.
Top performers (Rating 1) get 2-3x higher hikes than average performers. Invest in delivering exceptional results.
Cloud (AWS/Azure), AI/ML, Data Engineering, and DevOps skills pay 20-40% more than traditional roles.
Onsite assignments (US/UK/Europe) can 2-4x your effective salary. Build client relationships for such opportunities.
Cloud certifications, PMP, Agile certifications add ₹1-3 LPA to your value and accelerate promotions.
Counter offers for high performers can be 20-40% higher. Get external offers to unlock retention bonuses.
Explore current openings and start your journey at Cognizant.
