How a 2021 graduate turned ₹3.5 LPA salary into ₹65 LPA in four years after ‘reality hit hard’

A software engineer’s story of rising from a modest ₹3.5 lakh annual salary to a ₹65 lakh package in just four years is gaining attention online, with many users calling it a reminder of how persistence and planning can transform a career.

The techie shared his journey in a Reddit post on the r/TeluguJournals subreddit titled “Rs 3.5 LPA to Rs 65 LPA in 4 years: My Journey”.

The engineer, a 2021 graduate from a small private college, began his career through bulk campus hiring at Cognizant. According to the post, the early days were far from serious. He admitted that for the first few months after joining, he barely focused on work and spent most of his time watching movies and anime.

But that phase did not last long. The turning point came when he began thinking about his family’s financial situation. Coming from what he described as a lower-middle-class background, the family often struggled with monthly debts of ₹5,000 to ₹10,000. His salary of around ₹26,000 per month made him realise it would be impossible to clear those liabilities anytime soon.

He said the realisation hit him hard and served as a wake-up call. 
“I realised ₹26k per month would never be enough to cover the debts plus the interest,” he said, explaining how that realisation pushed him to take his career more seriously.

Believing his strength in mathematics and logical problem-solving could help him grow in the tech field, he decided to pursue higher-paying roles in the software industry. His first major move came in 2022, when he switched to IBM with a salary of ₹8 lakh per year.

Rather than chasing quick salary jumps, he followed a long-term plan. He deliberately focused on gaining experience and targeting major product companies after building a strong foundation. During this time, he even turned down offers with 30-40 per cent hikes because they did not align with his strategy.

Over the next two years, his salary continued to grow. By 2023, he had secured a 45 per cent hike, followed by another 28 per cent increase in 2024. Later that year, he moved to a new company offering ₹19 LPA, marking the first time he began earning over ₹1 lakh a month.

After crossing three years of experience, he intensified his preparation for interviews at top tech companies. He focused heavily on data structures, system design and coding practice.

Eventually, the effort paid off. He received multiple offers from companies including ServiceNow, PayPal and Cisco before finally securing an offer from a leading product company with a compensation package of ₹65 LPA.

“That’s ₹4 lakhs+ in a single month. It’s a crazy amount that no one in my entire family tree has ever seen,” he wrote.

The post ended on a personal note, reflecting on how financial stability has changed life for his family. Seeing his parents happy, he said, makes the years of effort worthwhile.

The story has drawn encouraging reactions from online users.

One commenter wrote, “Congratulations for your achievement, it’s not a small thing you have achieved big with proper planning.”

Another added, “Absolute chad man! Really happy for you, I hope you see more of this and I hope you guide others too so they too can see more of this.”