India’s gender pay gap narrows sharply, now among lowest worldwide: Report

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India's gender pay gap has narrowed sharply, now ranking among the lowest worldwide, a report said on Monday.

According to a report from global payroll and compliance platform Deel, the median salaries for men and women in India are nearly equal, ranging from USD 13,000 to USD 23,000, reflecting "growing pay equity and the adoption of data-driven compensation models."

Deel analysed internal platform data from over 1 million contracts and more than 35,000 customers in 150 countries to get insights into global pay trends, the report said.

The report also highlighted a 40 per cent year-on-year (YoY) drop in median compensation for engineering and data professionals in India, decreasing from USD 36,000 in 2024 to USD 22,000 in 2025.

"India continues to show a hybrid workforce model, with 60 per cent-70 per cent full-time employees and 30 per cent to 40 per cent contract workers, underscoring steady reliance on flexible work arrangements," the report noted.

"It's encouraging to see India emerge as one of the few countries where the gender pay gap has narrowed significantly. This progress reflects a broader shift toward fairness, transparency, and data-driven compensation models that reward merit over bias," says Mark Samlal, General Manager APAC at Deel.

The US, UK and Canada continue to offer the highest median compensation globally across job categories. Specialised roles in AI, cybersecurity, and digital marketing command 20 per cent to 25 per cent pay premiums due to skill scarcity and lack of established pay benchmarks.

Median equity grants for tech talent have grown consistently from 2021 to 2025 in emerging markets like Brazil and India, marking a global shift toward equity-heavy compensation models. The US leads in equity package size, followed by Canada and France, the report noted.

Globally gender pay gaps remain starker in tech and product roles compared to sales positions, with the largest gaps observed in Canada, France, and the United States, according to the report.

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