To compare salaries between two countries, convert both to a common basis and then adjust for local cost of living. A higher gross salary does not always mean a higher standard of living: pay that looks strong in an expensive city can leave less disposable income than a smaller salary somewhere housing costs far less.
Average salary comparison
Average salaries in United States are 19× the level of India
Based on average monthly pay across all tracked roles. Adjusted for what money actually buys locally, United States comes out 4.8× further ahead.
- Average monthly salary
- 6,228 USD
- Cost of living index
- 69.7
- Average monthly salary
- 27,805 INR
- Cost of living index
- 18.1
| Job title | United States (USD/mo) | India (INR/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeons / Doctors | 28,602 – 93,551 | 127,692 – 417,660 |
| Judges | 24,033 – 78,654 | 107,297 – 351,154 |
| Lawyers | 19,465 – 63,758 | 86,902 – 284,647 |
| Bank Managers | 18,333 – 59,984 | 81,847 – 267,799 |
| Chief Executive Officers | 17,181 – 56,210 | 76,704 – 250,951 |
| Chief Financial Officers | 16,029 – 52,436 | 71,561 – 234,103 |
| Orthodontists | 15,453 – 50,649 | 68,989 – 226,122 |
| College Professors | 13,745 – 44,889 | 61,363 – 200,406 |
| Pilots | 11,461 – 37,540 | 51,166 – 167,596 |
| Marketing Directors | 10,308 – 33,766 | 46,022 – 150,748 |
Each country’s figures are shown in its own currency, so columns are not directly comparable by eye — the percentages above handle that conversion. Salary figures are monthly estimates.
Every job category compared
All 31 career categories and 310 roles in United States and India, side by side. The highlighted figure in each row is the higher of the two once converted to a common basis.
Frequently asked questions
How do you compare salaries between two countries?
Convert both to a common basis before comparing — a gross figure in one currency tells you nothing about another. This tool normalises average pay across countries to produce the percentage difference, then adjusts it a second time for the local cost of living, which is what determines your actual standard of living.
Why is a higher salary not always better?
Because what the money buys varies enormously. A salary that looks generous in an expensive capital can leave less disposable income than a smaller one where housing costs a third as much. That is why this comparison reports both nominal pay and cost-of-living adjusted purchasing power.
What is a cost of living index?
It expresses local prices as a percentage of a reference country, where 100 is the baseline. An index of 50 means goods and services cost roughly half as much, so the same salary stretches about twice as far.
Are these figures before or after tax?
Before tax. They are gross estimates, and income tax plus social contributions vary from around fifteen percent to over forty depending on the country. Use the take-home pay pages for an after-tax view of a specific country.
Where does the salary data come from?
Figures are based on published research from the Economic Research Institute (ERI) and SalaryExpert, combined with cost-of-living indices and currency exchange rates. All numbers are estimates that vary with experience, employer, sector and location.