Salary hike on ₹18 LPA
₹18 LPA is common for five-to-eight years of experience at product companies and for senior roles in consulting and finance. Your marginal tax rate here is 20%, so a fifth of any raise goes to tax before it reaches you.
Where you stand today on ₹18 LPA
- Gross salary
- ₹ 16,92,000
- Employer EPF (part of CTC)
- ₹ 1,08,000
- Income tax (new regime)
- ₹ 1,28,336
- Monthly in-hand
- ₹ 1,21,105
Worked example: a 30% hike on ₹18 LPA
- Current CTC: ₹ 18,00,000
- Hike amount: ₹ 5,40,000
- New CTC: ₹ 23,40,000
- Monthly in-hand: ₹ 1,21,105 → ₹ 1,51,367 (+₹ 30,262), a real hike of 25%
Dedicated page: 30% hike on ₹18 LPA.
Try your own number
Your appraisal
₹ 18,00,000 per year
Assumptions
Left at zero, the old regime is compared using only the standard deduction, professional tax and your EPF. Add your actual exemptions for a fair comparison.
What this hike does
Your CTC rises 30% but your take-home rises 25%. A raise is taxed at your marginal rate, not your average one. Of the ₹ 5,40,000 raise, ₹ 1,76,860 goes to tax and PF.
For 18 LPA
For 20 LPA
Revised salary breakdown
| Component | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Revised CTC | ₹ 1,95,000 | ₹ 23,40,000 |
| Employer PF, inside your CTC | − ₹ 11,700 | − ₹ 1,40,400 |
| Gross salary | ₹ 1,83,300 | ₹ 21,99,600 |
| Basic pay (50%) | ₹ 97,500 | ₹ 11,70,000 |
| HRA and other allowances | ₹ 85,800 | ₹ 10,29,600 |
| Employee PF (12% of basic) | − ₹ 11,700 | − ₹ 1,40,400 |
| Professional tax | − ₹ 200 | − ₹ 2,400 |
| Income tax (new regime) | − ₹ 20,033 | − ₹ 2,40,396 |
| Net take-home | ₹ 1,51,367 | ₹ 18,16,404 |
FY 2026-27 rates, new regime applied. It leaves you ₹ 1,90,726 a year better off than the old regime.
Where your revised CTC goes
- Take-home 77.6%
- PF, yours and employer's 12%
- Tax and professional tax 10.4%
Tax by regime
We assume no HRA or 80C claims. Add yours under Assumptions if your letter says otherwise, and the comparison will change.
Next step
Got the number. Now what do you say?
How to counter an offer: what to ask for, in what order, and what the ask is worth after tax.
Hike table for ₹18 LPA
At this level the old-versus-new regime question becomes genuinely close for anyone paying significant rent or a home loan. The break-even figure computed below tells you precisely how much you would need to claim in deductions before switching regimes is worth it at ₹18 LPA.
| Hike | New CTC | Monthly in-hand | Extra / month | Real hike |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | ₹ 18,90,000 | ₹ 1,26,239 | +₹ 5,134 | 4.2% |
| 10% | ₹ 19,80,000 | ₹ 1,31,373 | +₹ 10,268 | 8.5% |
| 15% | ₹ 20,70,000 | ₹ 1,36,506 | +₹ 15,401 | 12.7% |
| 20% | ₹ 21,60,000 | ₹ 1,41,640 | +₹ 20,535 | 17% |
| 25% | ₹ 22,50,000 | ₹ 1,46,600 | +₹ 25,495 | 21.1% |
| 30% | ₹ 23,40,000 | ₹ 1,51,367 | +₹ 30,262 | 25% |
| 35% | ₹ 24,30,000 | ₹ 1,56,134 | +₹ 35,029 | 28.9% |
| 40% | ₹ 25,20,000 | ₹ 1,60,901 | +₹ 39,796 | 32.9% |
| 45% | ₹ 26,10,000 | ₹ 1,65,668 | +₹ 44,563 | 36.8% |
| 50% | ₹ 27,00,000 | ₹ 1,70,162 | +₹ 49,057 | 40.5% |
| 55% | ₹ 27,90,000 | ₹ 1,74,562 | +₹ 53,457 | 44.1% |
| 60% | ₹ 28,80,000 | ₹ 1,78,963 | +₹ 57,858 | 47.8% |
| 65% | ₹ 29,70,000 | ₹ 1,83,363 | +₹ 62,258 | 51.4% |
| 70% | ₹ 30,60,000 | ₹ 1,87,764 | +₹ 66,659 | 55% |
| 75% | ₹ 31,50,000 | ₹ 1,92,164 | +₹ 71,059 | 58.7% |
| 80% | ₹ 32,40,000 | ₹ 1,96,564 | +₹ 75,459 | 62.3% |
| 85% | ₹ 33,30,000 | ₹ 2,00,965 | +₹ 79,860 | 65.9% |
| 90% | ₹ 34,20,000 | ₹ 2,05,365 | +₹ 84,260 | 69.6% |
| 95% | ₹ 35,10,000 | ₹ 2,09,766 | +₹ 88,661 | 73.2% |
| 100% | ₹ 36,00,000 | ₹ 2,14,166 | +₹ 93,061 | 76.8% |
Assumes basic pay at 50% of CTC, EPF at 12% of basic, professional tax of ₹200/month, and whichever tax regime leaves more in hand. FY 2026-27 rates.
Dedicated pages for common percentages
Step-by-step CTC maths and in-hand change for the hikes people search at this salary.
Old vs new tax regime on ₹18 LPA
On a ₹18 LPA salary the new regime charges ₹ 1,28,336 in tax, against ₹ 2,82,859 under the old regime with only the standard deduction, professional tax and EPF counted. For the old regime to win, you would need to claim more than ₹ 4,96,000 a year in additional deductions: HRA exemption, 80C, 80D and home-loan interest combined. That is achievable for someone paying high metro rent or a home loan, and out of reach for most others.
Common questions about a hike on ₹18 LPA
What is a 10% hike on ₹18 LPA?
A 10% hike on ₹18 LPA takes your CTC to ₹ 19,80,000, which works out to about ₹ 1,31,373 per month in hand, an increase of ₹ 10,268 a month over your current take-home.
What is a 30% hike on ₹18 LPA?
A 30% hike on ₹18 LPA takes your CTC to ₹ 23,40,000. Your monthly in-hand becomes roughly ₹ 1,51,367, up ₹ 30,262 a month. Note that the real increase in take-home is 25%, not 30%. The difference is income tax and provident fund.
What is the monthly in-hand salary for ₹18 LPA?
On a ₹18 LPA CTC with a 50% basic component, your gross salary is ₹ 16,92,000 after removing the employer's EPF contribution. After your own EPF, professional tax and income tax under the new regime, you take home about ₹ 1,21,105 per month.
Should I pick the old or new tax regime on ₹18 LPA?
At ₹18 LPA the new regime wins unless you can claim more than about ₹ 4,96,000 a year in deductions beyond your EPF: that means HRA, 80C investments, 80D premiums and home-loan interest combined. Below that figure, the new regime leaves you with more money.