Plumbers and Electricians Earn More Than IT Employees
Hyderabad, 30 June – (www.deccanlive.com): In India, engineering is often seen as a golden career path. To complete a B.Tech degree, students spend about ₹10–20 lakhs and four important years of their life. However, after graduation, when they get a job — even in top IT companies like TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and Cognizant — their salary is quite low.
According to a study by Careers360, entry-level software engineers earn only ₹139–186 per hour. In comparison, skilled workers like plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and drivers earn double that amount per hour. These skilled workers, working through platforms like Urban Company, Swiggy, Zomato, Uber, and Ola, often earn more than B.Tech graduates.
Back in 2007–2010, entry-level software engineers used to earn about ₹3.5 lakhs per year. But in 2024, despite the rise in prices of petrol, diesel, and living costs, salaries in the IT sector haven’t increased much for freshers.
Now, a skilled worker earns around ₹311 per hour. If they work 160 hours a month (20 days, 8 hours/day), even after expenses and commissions, they make over ₹40,000 per month. In contrast, IT freshers in big companies earn only ₹130–180 per hour.
The cost of studying B.Tech has increased a lot. Earlier, a degree used to cost ₹1–2 lakhs, but now it costs 10 times more. Even after all the time, effort, and money spent, many B.Tech graduates don’t get the salary they hoped for.
Earlier, students could recover their education expenses in 2–3 years. Now, it takes more than 6–8 years. Meanwhile, the gig economy is growing fast, offering better opportunities with less struggle for skilled workers.
Conclusion:
Even though engineering is seen as a premium qualification, many B.Tech graduates earn less than skilled workers. Unless salaries improve, students may think twice before choosing expensive engineering degrees.
