Salary Falls After Five Years at TCS, Developer’s Story Sparks Debate on Reddit

An unusual experience shared by a software professional at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Reddit sparked widespread discussions on the platform.

The employee, who introduced himself as a Java Developer, claimed on the forum r/developersIndia that his monthly salary has gone down from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 22,000 at TCS even after working there for 5 years. He started his career at the company in 2020 at a salary of Rs.25,000 per month. But, in January 2026, after 5.5 years of service, he took home a salary of only Rs. 22,800. Readers found this unusual because instead of rising with experience, his salary has gone down.

Performance Reviews
The developer explains his struggles. Even after graduating from a tier 3 college, he managed to join TCS. However, his prime goal was landing a government job. That did not materialise; he had been preparing diligently for it. This focus on government jobs has reflected on his annual performance at TCS because his ratings have become consistently low.

TCS, like many IT companies, harmonises a grading system known as "performance bands". Employees are placed in categories, such as A, B, C, or D, based on their annual evaluation. Higher bands lead to promotions and salary increases, while lower bands restrict growth. The developer said he was repeatedly placed in the lower bands, C and D.

In July 2025, he entered a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP), signalling the company's dissatisfaction with his work and the risk of termination if performance did not improve.

The developer said that during this period he worked diligently and managed to get assigned to a new project. He did not tell his new manager that he was still under PIP. Because of this, the PIP period ended without dismissal. However, he did not receive annual salary hikes.

Upskilling and New Challenges
In January 2026, he essentially started improving his profile with learning Java backend development, which is a skill extensively asked for across the industry.

But even after clearing interviews at other firms, he faced a new obstacle. Human Resources officials became suspicious when they saw his salary record, which was showing a decline over five years. According to his account, such incidents often led to recruiters withdrawing from the hiring process.

Community Response
The post quickly attracted responses from fellow developers. One commenter advised him to look at startups, saying smaller firms might hire him despite his salary history and would give him the chance to learn quickly. "Startups are an insane place to develop three years' worth of skills in a single year," the user wrote, suggesting he switch jobs every year or two to rebuild his career.

Another user suggested a different path: pursue an MBA. "22k after five years of experience is just wicked and sick... I doubt that anyone would manage to acquire that level of expertise in tech in a short period of time. Hence, I suggested an MBA," the comment read.

A third response focused on how he presents his story to recruiters. "Since you were all over the place – both your existing career and your government job ambitions didn't materialise. You'll have to prove to HR that once you start applying yourself - you're very good... Then you have a story to show the world," the user advised.

Wider Debate
The Reddit discussion has now become a larger conversation about how performance reviews and salary progression work in India's IT industry. The developer's experience shows how early career choices, missed opportunities to upskill, and poor performance ratings can have long-lasting effects.