IT employee shares 5.5-year journey from Rs 25,000 to Rs 22,800

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• Indian IT employee's salary dropped after 5.5 years, sparking Reddit discussion
• Reddit users advised startup jobs, MBA, and skill-focused career moves

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A surprising personal story from an employee at a top Indian IT company is gaining major attention on Reddit. The user, who works as a Java Developer, shared that his monthly salary has decreased after more than five years with the firm.

In a detailed post on the popular forum r/developersIndia, the developer explained his career journey. He stated he joined the well-known IT company in 2020 with a starting salary of ₹25,000 per month. Now, in 2026, after 5.5 years of experience, his monthly in-hand salary is ₹22,800.

He shared that after graduating from a tier 3 college, he joined the company and then primarily focused on preparing for government exams instead of building his IT skills. Over the years, he received low performance ratings. In mid-2025, he was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). He prepared intensively and secured a spot on a new project without disclosing his PIP status to his manager. While he wasn't asked to resign after the PIP period, his annual appraisal was stopped.

Now, after upskilling as a Java Backend Developer in early 2026, he faces a new challenge. He claims that when he manages to clear technical interviews for new jobs, HR representatives become doubtful after seeing his current salary slip and end offer discussions. The user asked the community for guidance, expressing he is losing hope about his future in the IT industry.

Reddit Community Reacts with Advice

The post quickly gathered hundreds of comments, with users offering strategic suggestions.

One highly-upvoted comment recommended a practical approach: “Start with small gradual jumps into startups that will take you because of smaller salary asks. Startups are an insane place to develop 3 years worth of skills in a single year… Focus on early phase startups for the quick moves, jump ship every year or two.”

Another user proposed a different educational path: “MBA seems like a damn good option for your situation. 22k after 5 years of experience is just wicked and sick… I doubt that anyone would manage acquiring that level of expertise [in tech] in a short period of time. Hence, I suggested an MBA.”

A third piece of advice focused on narrative and commitment: “Since you were all over the place – both your existing career and your government job ambitions didn’t materialise. You’ll have to prove to HR that once you start applying yourself – you’re very good… Then you have a story to show the world. There is no harm, even being honest about it once you can start proving your skill.”

The discussion highlights the potential long-term impacts of career decisions and the challenges of navigating a job search with an unconventional career trajectory.

Note: It is important to note that this information is based purely on the details shared by the user in the Reddit post. The specifics of the individual's experience are not available.