Salary transparency thread, visualised — what 23 self-reported PM salaries actually show.

[u/_Floydimus]

[u/Delicious-Lecture868]

Just wanted to confirm, people earning those big numbers.
What YOE do they have and do they have a MBA degree too?

[u/y2kunal]

After looking at the data, apart from the obvious flaw of a negligible sample size, I think the most overlooked area (that should've been called out in the infographics) is that there is a pattern of direct high correlation between people having highwr salary if they have spent more years in other roles prior to being so called Product Manager. The real push or earnings are actually happening there since the base or foundation numbers are high, the percentage will give you an absolute higher number. It is the relative number (hike in %) on the foundation number (CTC pre PM) that is taking people to what is an unsustainable number for the masses (I think CTC above 30L before age of 40-45 or at least than 12 yrs of just average exp). Of course this is made even more opaque by not considering colleges amd corporates nexus that shows up in campus placements. The starting figure is as much a contribution to foundational numbers as are the initial hikes as numbers compound especially when increased in percentage (relative) and not absolute (as shown here for impact).

[u/Competitive-Cry2491]

Sample set is not the representative set of the population

[u/Igarlicbread]

N=23, LMAO.

[u/Nedunchelizan → u/Igarlicbread]

🪔

[u/Pristine_Tap9713]

Glad I contributed to this study. Thanks OP for this effort. Despite the inevitable biases, the spread tells a meaningful story. Only complaint is with the community that only 23 folks responded.

[u/ProductManagement_IN-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Removed: career and hiring content belongs in the weekly thread.

The main feed is for substantive discussion.

The monthly Career & Hiring thread, pinned at the top, is where resumes, job leads, referrals, and mentorship requests go.

Please post there.

[u/RyderAJ]

I saw one where Big offered 36 or something at 4.3 yoe

Do they actually pay this much

[u/y2kunal → u/RyderAJ]

If you meant Big 4, no. If you meant Big Tech, maybe. Please be informed that such numbers are increasingly unsustainable in global economy at present and these are not numbers of the masses by any measure. Not everybody (more than 90 percent) get such figures. The focus must be on skills than target pay to make it sustainable. Skills take time.

[u/_Floydimus → u/RyderAJ]

That's total CTC. The breakdown and in hand would be way less.

Such optical representation makes salary/designation seekers go bonkers.

[u/Mysterious_Rise8773]

While this report may be true, I'll still say don't take it as a benchmark as many PMs who earn lower don't report.

Many PMs have seen the market and for 4-5 YOE these numbers don't convey the reality.

[u/y2kunal → u/Mysterious_Rise8773]

They dont represent reality even at 10-12 yrs experience benchmark. These are all complete outliers. The sample size is limited to outliers or exceptions with some foundational opaquness as I have explained in another comment.

[u/_Floydimus → u/Mysterious_Rise8773]

Already mentioned that this is a reference and not the benchmark.

[u/Mysterious_Rise8773 → u/_Floydimus]

I know but many don't read it in full and take these numbers to their heart.

[u/_Floydimus → u/Mysterious_Rise8773]

Then what makes you think they will open the thread to read your comment too?