India tech's gender gap persists in high-paying backend roles: Report

More backend engineers now work outside the metros. Entry-level pay is under pressure. For most functions, salaries rise meaningfully only when skills are deep and experience counts.

The Instahyre Product-Tech PayCheck 2025 report does not paint a future of sweeping disruption. Instead, it reveals a shift already underway: more backend engineers now sit outside metros, salaries rise only when skills deepen, and early-career pay is starting to flatten. The numbers, drawn from 54,000+ candidate profiles and 14,000 recruiter conversations, show an industry rebalancing itself quietly, not through headlines, but through hiring choices.

Metros Still Dominate, But Tier-2 Cities Are Catching Up

Bangalore remains the epicenter for hiring tech professionals, especially for roles in backend (40%), DevOps (30%), and data science (29%). However, an increasingly mobile and remote-ready workforce is redistributing the tech talent pool. Nearly 35% of candidates with expertise in cybersecurity, mobile apps, and data analysis are now based in Tier-2 cities and the "Rest of India" (RoI) region. Locations such as Indore, Jaipur, and Chandigarh are growing steadily as viable alternatives to traditional tech hubs.

For instance, frontend and mobile app roles see 37% of skilled candidates residing in non-metros. Similarly, 42% of backend specialists are now based outside the five major metros, offering recruiters broader access to talent and greater negotiability.

Salary Progression: Rapid for Backend, Slower for Frontend Juniors

Salary growth in 2025 shows notable patterns across experience levels. The backend domain offers the steepest salary progression. A fresher skilled in Python might earn close to ₹11.51 LPA, with leadership-level professionals (10+ years) commanding salaries in the region of ₹49.37 LPA. Java and Node.js also show significant salary increases with experience.

Frontend roles present a more nuanced story. Salaries for React.js and JavaScript developers at 0–5 years have seen minor declines, by ₹1.5 LPA, owing to a surplus in early-career talent. However, those with 6+ years of experience see sharp salary jumps, with React.js professionals earning up to ₹36.34 LPA.

DevOps is another function where experience pays off handsomely. While Kubernetes specialists start at average salaries near ₹6.26 LPA, team leader roles focused on AWS can easily go up to ₹35.92 LPA. This reflects increased organizational dependency on scalable and secure cloud infrastructure for business.

In contrast, mobile developers, especially juniors, are facing a 3 LPA drop in average compensation. However, iOS and React Native skills are slowly closing the gap with Android, indicating a broader shift in mobile app ecosystems.

Gender Gaps Persist, But Some Roles Show Promise

Gender diversity remains a significant concern in India’s tech hiring landscape. The report reveals that backend and network roles continue to be heavily male-dominated, with an 85:15 male-to-female ratio. DevOps, cybersecurity, and database roles show similar disparities.

However, functions such as testing and quality assurance, data science, and certain frontend roles demonstrate relatively better inclusion, with a 70:30 male-female ratio in some pockets. Despite the industry’s stated focus on DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), companies are now prioritizing deep tech capability and specialization over diversity quotas in high-demand tech roles like AI, cloud, and data engineering.

Top Skills for 2025: Java, Python, AWS, and Android

The report identifies Java, Python, and Node.js as the most preferred backend skills. Java remains a staple, showing fivefold salary growth from entry-level to senior roles. In the data science arena, Python leads with 25% candidate preference, followed by Java and machine learning.

For DevOps, AWS and Jenkins dominate in terms of compensation and popularity. Monitoring and CI/CD skills are seeing high adoption, with cost-optimization becoming a key hiring criterion.

Mobile development continues to favor Android, though iOS and React Native are slowly gaining ground. Android holds 52% candidate preference, but the share has dropped slightly, indicating diversification in the mobile development stack.

Testing and QA roles see Selenium as the preferred specialization, while in networks, CCNA and network security command the most attention. In IT security, information security and app security are ahead of cloud security, though the latter still holds strategic importance in multi-cloud deployments.

Bangalore accounts for the highest share of experienced tech professionals across backend, DevOps, and data science. Hyderabad is a close second for backend and cybersecurity, while Pune is making inroads in testing, QA, and database management.

RoI dominates early-career talent distribution in nearly every function. For example:

42% of backend talent is based in RoI.

37% of frontend and mobile app talent is in RoI.

35% of data science, IT security, and network professionals are also located outside the top metros.

This decentralization, enabled by remote work norms and higher education access in Tier-2 cities, is making RoI a fertile hiring ground, especially for AI and app development roles.

Hiring Trends: Specialization Trumps Generic Roles

A critical insight from the report is the rise of tech-agnostic professionals. With layoffs and funding cuts in the past year, many jobseekers are now diversifying their skills across domains—mixing DevOps with security, or frontend with data science—to remain relevant.

React.js, jQuery, and HTML skills still find popularity in frontend, but employers are now seeking hybrid profiles who can adapt across the stack. In the database, testing dominates at 59% preference, reflecting the operational focus in product-based companies.

As Sarbojit Mallick, Co-founder of Instahyre, noted, “The future of hiring lies in identifying deep tech talent early, investing in skill development, and being agile in workforce planning. Those who upskill and adapt will lead the pack.”

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