How the numbers work
The calculator is a simple, open model. This page lists every number it uses, where it came from, and whether it has been verified.
51 of 51 inputs are still marked as estimates. Data as of 2026-09, model version 1.0.0.
The steps
- Start from Year-1 typical pay for your path in a metro city.
- Multiply by factors for your function, location and (for industry and start-up paths) industry.
- Articleship, rank and attempt change your first years only, and fade to nothing over about 3, 5 and 3 years.
- Extra qualifications and skills each add a small uplift from the year they usually start to count. Each is capped at 10% and all together at 20%.
- A growth curve projects Years 1 to 15. Jobs grow fastest early, from about 16% a year towards 6%. Practice starts at 55% of the firm-job anchor and climbs more slowly for longer.
- Conservative and Strong are Typical times a spread that widens over time, because careers diverge.
- "Today's rupees" removes 6% a year inflation.
What the model leaves out
- Abroad figures are gross, converted to rupees, with no adjustment for living costs or tax.
- Start-up figures count cash pay only and leave out equity.
- Years in studies show no salary. Fees and stipends are not modelled.
- Bonuses, variable pay and benefits are not modelled separately.
Path anchor
Where to verify: ICAI Campus Placement Programme reports (icai.org), Big 4 India offer letters or recruiter surveys, practising-CA surveys
| Item | Value | Source or note | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job in industry | 12.5 | ICAI campus average Rs 12.88 L (62nd drive) and Rs 13 L (64th drive), reported by Taxscan and a JNU Jaipur blog; not checked against ICAI report | estimated |
| Job in a CA firm or Big 4 | 9 | Big 4 fresher CA range Rs 8.5 to 12 L, reported by ThinkingBridge and iWision blogs; not checked against firm offers | estimated |
| Own practice | 9 | No public source found. Set equal to the firm-job anchor; the practice growth curve then starts at 55% of it (MODEL.practice.s0), so Year 1 is about half of a firm job | estimated |
| Start-up or entrepreneurship | 11 | No public source found; placeholder near industry pay, cash only | estimated |
Function mult
Where to verify: Michael Page, Robert Half and Hays India salary guides; ICAI campus offers by function
| Item | Value | Source or note | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit and assurance | 0.95 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter salary guides (Michael Page, Robert Half, Hays India) and ICAI campus data by function | estimated |
| Direct tax | 1 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter salary guides (Michael Page, Robert Half, Hays India) and ICAI campus data by function | estimated |
| Indirect tax and GST | 1.05 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter salary guides (Michael Page, Robert Half, Hays India) and ICAI campus data by function | estimated |
| Corporate finance and FP&A | 1.05 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter salary guides (Michael Page, Robert Half, Hays India) and ICAI campus data by function | estimated |
| Investment banking and M&A | 1.45 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter salary guides (Michael Page, Robert Half, Hays India) and ICAI campus data by function | estimated |
| Internal audit and risk | 0.95 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter salary guides (Michael Page, Robert Half, Hays India) and ICAI campus data by function | estimated |
| Forensic and valuation | 1.05 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter salary guides (Michael Page, Robert Half, Hays India) and ICAI campus data by function | estimated |
| Treasury | 1.1 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter salary guides (Michael Page, Robert Half, Hays India) and ICAI campus data by function | estimated |
| CFO track or generalist | 1.15 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter salary guides (Michael Page, Robert Half, Hays India) and ICAI campus data by function | estimated |
City mult
Where to verify: Recruiter salary guides by city; ICAI international placement offers
| Item | Value | Source or note | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro city | 1 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter guides by city and ICAI international placement offers (above Rs 50 L reported for the 64th drive) | estimated |
| Tier-2 city | 0.85 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter guides by city and ICAI international placement offers (above Rs 50 L reported for the 64th drive) | estimated |
| Tier-3 city or hometown | 0.75 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter guides by city and ICAI international placement offers (above Rs 50 L reported for the 64th drive) | estimated |
| Gulf | 1.3 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter guides by city and ICAI international placement offers (above Rs 50 L reported for the 64th drive) | estimated |
| Singapore | 1.6 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter guides by city and ICAI international placement offers (above Rs 50 L reported for the 64th drive) | estimated |
| UK, Canada or Australia | 1.6 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter guides by city and ICAI international placement offers (above Rs 50 L reported for the 64th drive) | estimated |
| United States | 2 | Placeholder. Check with recruiter guides by city and ICAI international placement offers (above Rs 50 L reported for the 64th drive) | estimated |
Industry mult
Where to verify: ICAI campus placements by sector; sector salary surveys
| Item | Value | Source or note | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| BFSI and banking | 1 | Placeholder. Check with ICAI campus placements by sector and sector salary surveys | estimated |
| Consulting | 1.05 | Placeholder. Check with ICAI campus placements by sector and sector salary surveys | estimated |
| Technology and SaaS | 1.1 | Placeholder. Check with ICAI campus placements by sector and sector salary surveys | estimated |
| Manufacturing | 0.95 | Placeholder. Check with ICAI campus placements by sector and sector salary surveys | estimated |
| FMCG | 1 | Placeholder. Check with ICAI campus placements by sector and sector salary surveys | estimated |
| Real estate and infra | 0.95 | Placeholder. Check with ICAI campus placements by sector and sector salary surveys | estimated |
| Pharma and healthcare | 1 | Placeholder. Check with ICAI campus placements by sector and sector salary surveys | estimated |
| Start-up (VC-backed) | 1.05 | Placeholder. Check with ICAI campus placements by sector and sector salary surveys | estimated |
| Government and PSU | 0.9 | Placeholder. Check with ICAI campus placements by sector and sector salary surveys | estimated |
| Others | 0.95 | Placeholder. Check with ICAI campus placements by sector and sector salary surveys | estimated |
Articleship mult
Where to verify: Placement outcomes by articleship type (ICAI, FOCAS alumni data)
| Item | Value | Source or note | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big 4 | 1.1 | Placeholder. Check with placement outcomes by articleship type | estimated |
| Large or mid-size firm (top 20 to 100) | 1.03 | Placeholder. Check with placement outcomes by articleship type | estimated |
| Industry (where permitted) | 1 | Placeholder. Check with placement outcomes by articleship type | estimated |
| Small local firm | 0.93 | Placeholder. Check with placement outcomes by articleship type | estimated |
Rank mult
Where to verify: ICAI campus offers to rank holders; Big 4 offer data; FOCAS alumni data
| Item | Value | Source or note | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | 1 | Sources disagree: Big 4 premium about Rs 1 to 1.5 L (ThinkingBridge blog); ICAI campus rank holders often Rs 18 to 26 L (Zeroinfy). Kept modest and capped | estimated |
| Yes, all-India top 50 | 1.2 | Sources disagree: Big 4 premium about Rs 1 to 1.5 L (ThinkingBridge blog); ICAI campus rank holders often Rs 18 to 26 L (Zeroinfy). Kept modest and capped | estimated |
| Yes, regional | 1.08 | Sources disagree: Big 4 premium about Rs 1 to 1.5 L (ThinkingBridge blog); ICAI campus rank holders often Rs 18 to 26 L (Zeroinfy). Kept modest and capped | estimated |
Attempt mult
Where to verify: FOCAS alumni outcomes by attempt (no public source)
| Item | Value | Source or note | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st attempt | 1 | No public source isolates the effect of the attempt number. Deliberately small; only applies to the first years | estimated |
| 2nd attempt | 0.98 | No public source isolates the effect of the attempt number. Deliberately small; only applies to the first years | estimated |
| 3rd attempt | 0.95 | No public source isolates the effect of the attempt number. Deliberately small; only applies to the first years | estimated |
| 4th or later attempt | 0.93 | No public source isolates the effect of the attempt number. Deliberately small; only applies to the first years | estimated |
Boosters
Where to verify: CFA Institute, ACCA, ISACA and recruiter salary surveys
| Item | Value | Source or note | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| DISA | 0.04 | Placeholder | estimated |
| CFA | 0.08 | Placeholder | estimated |
| ACCA or CPA | 0.06 | Placeholder | estimated |
| IFRS | 0.04 | Placeholder | estimated |
| FRM | 0.06 | Placeholder | estimated |
| MBA | 0.08 | Placeholder | estimated |
| Excel, Power BI, SQL, automation | 0.05 | Placeholder | estimated |
| English communication | 0.03 | Placeholder | estimated |
| Domain specialisation | 0.05 | Placeholder | estimated |
Model
| Item | Value | Source or note | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Growth curves, spreads, fade lengths, caps | n/a | Growth curves, band spreads and fade lengths are modelling placeholders calibrated only to rough published ranges (mid-career Rs 15 to 28 L at 5 to 8 years; Big 4 exits at 3 to 4 years Rs 20 to 28 L) | estimated |
Salary amounts are gross annual pay in lakh rupees. Multipliers are unitless (1.00 means no change).
These figures are illustrative ranges built from published campus-placement data and market salary surveys. They are not job offers or guarantees. Real pay varies with the firm, your negotiation, the job market and your own performance. Items marked 'estimated' are our assumptions and are still being verified.