Last updated: October 2026 · FY 2026-27 tax rules
₹15 LPA is where income tax enters the picture. Under the new regime, everything up to ₹12 lakh of taxable income is tax-free, but a ₹15 LPA CTC crosses that line, so you pay slab tax for the first time.
Here is how much you actually take home, what you pay in tax, and when the old regime might be worth it.
15 LPA in-hand salary: the short answer
- Monthly in-hand (new regime): ₹1,00,308 – ₹1,10,819
- Yearly in-hand: ₹12,03,693 – ₹13,29,822
- Income tax: ₹77,832 a year under the new regime
- Gross monthly salary (before PF, tax): ₹1,14,494 – ₹1,20,194
- Assumes: basic pay is 50% of CTC, no variable pay, ₹200 a month professional tax
Why a range and not one number? It depends on how your company calculates PF. If PF is 12% of your full basic pay, you get the lower figure. If PF is capped at the statutory wage limit of ₹15,000 a month (₹1,800 a month from you, ₹1,800 from the company), you get the higher one. Your offer letter or first payslip will tell you which applies.
15 LPA salary breakup: from CTC to in-hand
Here is how a ₹15 lakh CTC turns into money in your bank account. Two parts of CTC never reach your monthly salary: the employer's PF contribution (it goes to your PF account) and gratuity (paid only if you stay 5 years).
| Component (per year) | PF on full basic | PF capped at ₹1,800/month |
|---|---|---|
| CTC (cost to company) | ₹15,00,000 | ₹15,00,000 |
| Basic pay (50% of CTC) | ₹7,50,000 | ₹7,50,000 |
| − Employer PF (goes to your PF account) | −₹90,000 | −₹21,600 |
| − Gratuity (4.81% of basic, paid after 5 years) | −₹36,075 | −₹36,075 |
| = Gross salary | ₹13,73,925 | ₹14,42,325 |
| − Employee PF (12%) | −₹90,000 | −₹21,600 |
| − Professional tax | −₹2,400 | −₹2,400 |
| − Income tax (new regime, incl. 4% cess) | −₹77,832 | −₹88,503 |
| = In-hand per year | ₹12,03,693 | ₹13,29,822 |
| = In-hand per month | ₹1,00,308 | ₹1,10,819 |
How the tax works out: taxable salary is ₹13,73,925 minus the ₹75,000 standard deduction, which is ₹12,98,925. That is above ₹12 lakh, so the 87A rebate no longer applies and you pay slab tax: 0% up to ₹4 lakh, 5% to ₹8 lakh, 10% to ₹12 lakh, 15% to ₹16 lakh, 20% to ₹20 lakh, 25% to ₹24 lakh, plus 4% cess. That gives ₹77,832 a year.
What your monthly payslip will look like
A typical payslip at this salary, with PF on full basic. Companies split the non-basic part differently, so your HRA and special allowance may not match, but the total and the in-hand will be close.
| Payslip line | Per month |
|---|---|
| Basic pay | ₹62,500 |
| HRA | ₹25,000 |
| Special allowance | ₹26,994 |
| Gross earnings | ₹1,14,494 |
| Employee PF | −₹7,500 |
| Professional tax | −₹200 |
| Income tax (TDS) | −₹6,486 |
| Net pay | ₹1,00,308 |
Old vs new tax regime at 15 LPA
With only ₹1.5 lakh of 80C investments, the old regime leaves you about ₹92,584 a month, against ₹1,00,308 in the new regime. The old regime only wins if your total deductions beyond the standard deduction (80C, 80D, HRA exemption, home loan interest) add up to more than about ₹5,09,800 a year. People paying high rent in a metro and claiming HRA are the ones most likely to cross that line. Check yours with our HRA calculator.
Who earns 15 LPA in India?
₹15 LPA is common for software engineers with 3–5 years at product companies, data analysts and data scientists with 3–4 years, and consultants at Big 4 firms after a few years.
It is also a typical mid-level manager salary in BFSI and a senior-individual-contributor salary at IT services firms.
Median salaries reported on Weekday's company salary pages around this level:
- Wells Fargo: ₹16.1 LPA median across roles
- EY: ₹16.6 LPA median across roles
- Citi: ₹17.6 LPA median across roles
- HCL: ₹12.2 LPA at 2–3 years
Is 15 LPA a good salary?
Yes. ₹1–1.1 lakh a month in hand is a comfortable salary in any Indian city. You will pay about ₹78,000–88,500 a year in tax under the new regime, depending on how your PF is calculated.
Note the effect of tax: going from ₹12 LPA to ₹15 LPA is a 25% CTC jump, but your in-hand rises by about 17–18% because part of the increase is taxed.
Moving beyond 15 LPA
The ₹15–25 LPA band is where system design, ownership of a product area, or a specialised skill (data engineering, ML, security) makes the difference. Product companies and funded startups hire heavily in this band.
Want to see what a hike does to your take-home? Run it through the salary hike calculator, or browse jobs on Weekday paying ₹20 LPA and above.
In-hand salary at other CTCs
| CTC | Monthly in-hand | Yearly tax (new regime) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 LPA | ₹21,199 | ₹0 |
| 4 LPA | ₹28,332 – ₹28,732 | ₹0 |
| 4.5 LPA | ₹31,898 – ₹32,798 | ₹0 |
| 5 LPA | ₹35,465 – ₹36,865 | ₹0 |
| 6 LPA | ₹42,598 – ₹44,998 | ₹0 |
| 7 LPA | ₹49,730 – ₹53,130 | ₹0 |
| 10 LPA | ₹71,129 – ₹77,529 | ₹0 |
| 12 LPA | ₹85,395 – ₹93,795 | ₹0 |
| 15 LPA | ₹1,00,308 – ₹1,10,819 | ₹77,832 |
| 20 LPA | ₹1,29,339 – ₹1,44,033 | ₹1,57,435 |
For any other number, or to plug in your own basic pay, PF type and city, use the in-hand salary calculator. If you are new to the terms, our guide on CTC vs in-hand salary explains every line of a payslip.
Frequently asked questions
What is the in-hand salary for 15 LPA per month?
Around ₹1,00,308 – ₹1,10,819 a month under the new tax regime, assuming basic pay is 50% of CTC and there is no variable pay. You pay about ₹77,832 a year in income tax (₹6,486 a month).
How much tax on 15 LPA?
About ₹77,800 a year under the new regime if PF is on your full basic (taxable income about ₹13 lakh), or about ₹88,500 if PF is capped at ₹1,800 a month.
Is old regime better for 15 LPA?
Only if your deductions (80C, 80D, HRA exemption, home loan interest) add up to a large amount. See the break-even figure in the old vs new section above.
Does variable pay change my 15 LPA in-hand?
Yes. If part of your CTC is a performance bonus, it is paid once or twice a year, not monthly. Take it out of the CTC before you calculate the monthly figure, then expect the bonus as a lump sum (taxed when paid).
Why is my in-hand lower than this?
Common reasons: a lower basic % (PF and gratuity eat more), group health insurance deducted from salary, meal cards or NPS taken from your pay, or a state with different professional tax. Your payslip shows each one.
How we calculated this
All figures use FY 2026-27 rules under the Income-tax Act, 2025, which kept the same slabs as last year: a ₹75,000 standard deduction and full rebate up to ₹12 lakh taxable income in the new regime; a ₹50,000 standard deduction in the old regime; 4% health and education cess. We assume basic pay is 50% of CTC (the new labour codes push most companies to at least 50%), gratuity at 4.81% of basic inside CTC, employee and employer PF at 12%, and ₹2,400 a year professional tax. Your actual numbers depend on your salary structure, so treat these as a close estimate, not a payslip.
