Media & Entertainment pay to rise 7.7% as digital surge reshapes hiring: Teamlease report
Chennai (10.3%) and Hyderabad (9.4%) lead salary growth through regional OTT, virtual production, and VFX hubs; Mumbai (9.4%) remains dominant in branded content and digital IP; Bengaluru (8.9%) rides the rise of generative AI and the creator economy.
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The latest Teamlease Jobs and Salaries Report reveals that India’s salary landscape is undergoing a dynamic shift, led by high-growth sectors such as digital content, EV infrastructure, consumer durables, and fintech. Overall, average salary growth across industries ranges between 6.2% and 11.3%, with a clear tilt toward skills-based compensation and regional growth hubs.
M&E and Digital Content Roles See Robust Uptick
In the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, a digital-first transformation—fueled by OTT, influencer marketing, and gamified content is driving notable salary growth, especially in creative and production roles. The average hike in this sector stands at 7.7%, but key digital-first roles surpass this average.
Top roles in demand include:
Content Marketing Manager (10.2%) – Central to engagement strategy across platforms.
Motion Graphic Designer (9.4%) – Sought across ad agencies, content studios, and OTT platforms.
VFX Artist / Supervisor (9.1%) – In sync with the rising appetite for immersive content.
Video Editor / Producer (8.5%) – Especially for short-form video and reels.
Influencer Manager (7.6%) – Reflecting the growing relevance of the creator economy.
Freelancing and gig roles—especially in video editing, podcast production, and content repurposing—continue to grow. Those skilled in tools like After Effects, Final Cut Pro, and Blender are commanding a premium.
Trends Reshaping Hiring in M&E and Beyond Regional content creators and vernacular influencers are driving a hiring wave.
AI-assisted content creation is rising, but companies still value human-led storytelling and creative oversight.
Skills such as cross-platform adaptability, growth hacking, and visual storytelling are gaining ground.
Industry-wise Salary Leaders: EV, Consumer Durables, NBFCs Outpace Traditional Tech
The EV and EV Infrastructure sector leads overall growth, with an average hike of 11.3%, signaling India’s push toward green mobility. Consumer Durables (10.7%) and NBFCs (10.4%) are close behind, benefiting from increased consumer activity and aggressive credit expansion.
By contrast, traditional tech-heavy industries like IT (8.3%) and Telecom (8.7%) show relatively restrained optimism, likely due to consolidation and cautious hiring strategies.
Industries with the lowest salary growth include BPO (6.7%) and Educational Services (6.2%), which continue to offer steady but conservative increments.
Role-based Growth Clusters: Design, Retail-Tech, and Core Engineering in Focus Roles driving the biggest hikes span multiple sectors:
Engineering-heavy sectors: Electrical (12.4%), Mechanical (12.1%), and Quality Inspectors (11.9%).
Retail-tech and frontline: In-store Demonstrators (12.2%), Fashion Assistants (11.2%), and Sales Promoters (11.1%).
NBFCs: Relationship Executives (11.6%), Sales Officers (11.3%), and Loan Officers (10.9%).
FinTech & Insurance: More moderate but steady hikes for roles like Finance Executives (~10.5%) and System Administrators (~9.4%).
Even service roles like Guest Service Associates (9.6%), Recruiters (10.1%), and Business Development Executives (10.0%) are showing recovery-led gains, reflecting improved stability in hiring and customer-facing domains.
Startups Stabilize, Energy Firms Emphasize Ops Roles
Startups are moderating their pay growth as they move past the funding-first phase. Roles like HR and BD Executives (10.1%) and Finance Executives (9.9%) are seeing standardised hikes. In regulated sectors like energy, back-end roles such as Safety Engineers and Maintenance Project Engineers continue to gain importance.
City-wise Trends: Pune, Mumbai, and Tier-2 Stars
Among metros, Pune leads with a 10.4% growth rate, buoyed by its strong EV, automotive, and consumer durables base. Mumbai (10.2%), Hyderabad (10.2%), and Bengaluru (10.1%) follow closely, reflecting strength in NBFCs, healthcare, fintech, and tech startups.
Tier-2 cities like Coimbatore (9.7%), Ahmedabad (9.6%), and Kochi (9.5%) are quietly building momentum, especially in retail and manufacturing. Cities like Lucknow (9.1%) and Surat (8.9%), however, reflect a more cautious talent strategy.
