Every year, the placement season at the country’s top IIMs draws attention to the highest salary packages. International job opportunities worth over Rs 1 crore often dominate the conversation and create the impression of rapid salary increases across the board.However, these high-value offers represent only a small portion of the lot. Median salary is often a more useful number for students who want to know what to realistically expect after an MBA. It reflects the salary students received in the middle of the batch, meaning half the students received more and half received less.The latest employment data from six leading IIMs shows that IIM Calcutta reported the highest median salary of Rs 35 lakh per annum for the 2023-25 ​​batch. IIM Ahmedabad follows closely with a median salary of Rs 33 lakh, while IIM Bangalore has a median salary of Rs 32.61 lakh. The median salary at IIM Lucknow is Rs 31 lakh, while the salaries at IIM Kozhikode and IIM Indore are Rs 27.5 lakh and Rs 27 lakh respectively.
Median salary at leading IIMs
| graduate School | Median salary (2023-25) |
|---|---|
| IIM Calcutta | LPA 35 Rs. |
| IIM Ahmedabad | LPA 33 Rs. |
| IIM Bangalore | LPA 32.61 Rs. |
| IIM Lucknow | LPA 31 Rs. |
| IIM Kozhikode | LPA 27.5 Rs. |
| Indian Institute of Management Indore | LPA 27 Rs. |
While wage data remains strong, growth over the past three employment cycles has been relatively modest. The average median salary at these six institutions increased by 3.73% between the 2021-23 and 2023-25 ​​academic years. This suggests that despite record-high offers, the typical MBA graduate’s earnings have not risen significantly in recent years.Among the institutions analyzed, Indian Institute of Management Indore had the strongest median salary growth. Its median package has increased by 9.31% from Rs 24.70 lakh in the 2021-23 batch to Rs 27 lakh in the 2023-25 ​​batch. Ahmedabad also achieved solid growth, with median wages increasing by 6.45% during the same period.
Median salary growth from 2023 to 2025
| graduate School | Median salary growth |
|---|---|
| Indian Institute of Management Indore | 9.31% |
| IIM Ahmedabad | 6.45% |
| IIM Calcutta | 3.95% |
| IIM Lucknow | 3.33% |
| IIM Kozhikode | 1.85% |
| IIM Bangalore | -1.18% |
Kolkata had the highest median salary, which also increased by almost 4%. Lucknow and Kozhikode saw smaller increases, while Bengaluru was the only agency to report a decline. Its median salary fell by 1.18% from Rs 3.3 million in 2021-23 to Rs 32.61 million in 2023-25.Median salary is often considered a better indicator than maximum salary or average salary. While a few particularly high offers can push up the average salary and attract headlines, the median salary gives a clearer picture of how much students in the cohort are earning.Therefore, when comparing institutions, MBA aspirants should not look at top salaries but at median salaries to understand placement outcomes and what a typical graduate is likely to earn after leaving campus.
