India’s gender pay gap now among the world’s smallest: Report

India’s gender pay gap has narrowed significantly, with the country boasting one of the smallest gaps globally, as median salaries for men and women are nearly equal, according to the State of Global Compensation Report 2025.

Global HR and payroll company Deel released the report in partnership with Carta, an equity management platform, drawing on Deel’s vast internal platform data that includes over one million contracts and 35,000+ customers across more than 150 countries.

According to the report, the US ($95,000 - $150,000), UK ($82,000 - $117,000), and Canada ($73,000 - $121,000) continue to offer the highest median compensation globally across job categories.

India stands out for having one of the smallest gaps globally, with median salaries for men and women nearly equal, both ranging between $13,000 and $23,000, depending on role and function.

Engineering and data professionals in India saw their median pay drop from $36,000 in 2024 to $22,000 in 2025—a 40% decline, despite expectations of salary hikes. In contrast, the US recorded an increase from $122,000 to $150,000 over the same period.

“It’s encouraging to see India emerge as one of the few countries where the gender pay gap has narrowed significantly. Median salaries for men and women now stand nearly equal, both ranging between $13,000 and $23,000, marking one of the smallest gender pay gaps globally. This progress reflects a broader shift toward fairness, transparency, and data-driven compensation models that reward merit over bias,” said Mark Samlal, General Manager APAC at Deel.

Specialised roles in AI, cybersecurity, and digital marketing command 20% to 25% pay premiums due to skill scarcity and lack of established pay benchmarks.

The report added that the median equity grants for tech talent, as a share of company ownership, have grown consistently from 2021 to 2025, particularly 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.

Meanwhile, Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil now offer extensive contractor talent pools (80-90% of workers), while the US and Germany remain full-time equivalent (FTE) centric. India continues to show a hybrid workforce model, with 60%-70% full-time employees and 30%-40% contract workers, underscoring steady reliance on flexible work arrangements.

However, gender pay gaps remain starker in tech and product roles compared to sales positions, where some improvements have been observed. The largest gaps are observed in Canada, France, and the US.