Indeed Survey: Indian Job Titles vs Pay Mismatch

Indeed's quarterly hiring tracker survey, conducted by Valuvox in May and June 2026 across 2,533 employees and 1,211 employers in India, found that nearly 60% of professionals believe their job titles do not reflect their compensation. About 80% of employees see title inflation as common, and nearly one in three who received a title change in the past two years got no salary increase or less than 5%. While 52% would prefer higher pay over a better title, 70% still see titles as important for future opportunities, and 57% of employers use enhanced titles to attract or retain talent. Sashi Kumar, Managing Director of Indeed India, commented that titles are most effective when they reflect genuine career progression.