Tech Engineer Disappointed with ₹15 LPA Offer After 5 Years Experience

A software engineer's recent experience of receiving a ₹15 LPA job offer after five years in the industry has sparked a lively debate on social media platform X. The engineer, who had anticipated a salary in the range of ₹20 to ₹25 LPA, expressed their discontent with the offer, which they felt did not accurately reflect their skills and experience. The post resonated with many users, prompting a variety of reactions regarding current salary trends in the tech sector and the realities of job offers in today's market. The discussion was initiated by X user @coolcoder56, who shared a screenshot of the engineer's post, highlighting their frustration with the job market. The original post, which gained significant traction, revealed that the engineer currently earns a CTC of ₹12.9 LPA and had received an offer from Fractal for ₹15 LPA, which includes ₹13.64 lakh as fixed pay and ₹1.36 lakh as committed pay. The engineer's candid remarks about their situation resonated with many, as they questioned whether this was the new norm in the job market. They stated, "5 YOE | Current CTC ₹12.9 LPA | Fractal offered ₹15 LPA. Is this the market now? What a shame for me!" This sentiment struck a chord with others who have faced similar challenges in securing competitive salaries. The engineer elaborated on their professional background, noting their expertise in various technologies such as Java, Spring Boot, React, Kafka, AWS, Docker, and Microservices. Despite successfully navigating multiple interviews, the salary offer did not meet their expectations. They candidly shared, "To be honest, I was expecting something in the ₹20–25 LPA range, if not more, based on my experience, tech stack, and the interviews I’ve been clearing." Seeking insights from the online community, the engineer inquired whether this offer was typical for professionals with comparable experience and whether Fractal was known for conservative compensation practices. They also sought recommendations for companies that were hiring backend or full-stack engineers with salaries exceeding ₹20 LPA. The post quickly garnered attention, with industry professionals chiming in to share their perspectives on salary trends, hiring practices, and career advancement. One user, who identified as a Fractal employee, commented, "A Fractalite here, and I think he’s not negotiating well enough. Fractal does pay decently and over the top had me at 40-50% over the current pay while I was already paying 30% tax so you can assume I was not underpaid for a similar experience bracket." Another user pointed out that companies might be taking advantage of the current hiring climate, suggesting that the market is not as dire as it seems. They remarked, "Market is not bad as these companies are projecting. HRs are taking most advantage of this situation." Others weighed in on the ethics of disclosing salary information alongside the employer's identity, with one user stating, "It’s unethical to disclose CTC with company identity; you can inquire discreetly or reject, JR may view this seriously enough." Career advice was also shared, with suggestions to pivot towards emerging technologies like data and AI engineering. One commenter advised, "My recommendation: Upskill yourself to data/AI engineer. Just front and backend engineering is nowhere to invest now for companies." The conversation highlighted the importance of existing salary in negotiations, with one user reflecting, "Current CTC is very important. I realized it very late." Not everyone could relate to the salary discussions, as one user humorously noted, "Man, I’m trying here to get an internship." Another commenter felt the offer was reasonable, stating, "I think for 5 YOE, 15 LPA, which is 3x of their experience, is a median salary." This ongoing dialogue reflects the complexities and challenges faced by tech professionals navigating the current job market.