Salary & Employment Statistics – South Asia’s Latest Numbers

Everyone wants to know how much people earn and where jobs are growing. In South Asia, the picture changes fast, so keeping up with the numbers can help you make smarter career moves, budget better, or plan a business launch.

Why Salary Data Matters

Salary data is more than just a paycheck figure. It shows how strong an industry is, where talent is in demand, and how cost of living shifts between cities and rural areas. For example, a tech professional in Bangalore will see a different pay scale than a retail worker in a small town. Knowing these gaps helps you negotiate a fair offer or decide which city might give you a better quality of life.

Employers also rely on these stats. When they benchmark salaries, they avoid overpaying or underpaying their staff. That balance keeps turnover low and morale high. For policy makers, clear employment stats pinpoint where job creation programs are needed most.

Key Figures You Should Know

Let’s start with India, the region’s biggest economy. The average annual salary comes out to about $1,964 when you convert it to US dollars. That sounds low compared to the United States’ $44,564 average, but it reflects India’s huge population and the wide range of jobs available. IT, engineering, and medical roles push the average up, while retail, hospitality, and agriculture pull it down.

Urban areas like Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru consistently out‑earn rural regions. In these metros, tech and finance salaries can top $10,000 a year, while a farmer in a village might earn less than $500 annually. The urban‑rural gap matters because it influences migration patterns—people move to cities seeking higher pay, which in turn fuels urban growth.

Pakistan’s average salary sits around $2,500 a year. Karachi and Islamabad lead with higher wages in banking and telecom, while the agricultural belt still sees modest earnings. Bangladesh shows a similar trend: the capital Dhaka offers salaries roughly $2,200 annually, whereas rural districts remain lower.

Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives each have their own quirks. Sri Lanka’s tourism‑driven jobs often pay seasonally, with average earnings near $3,000. Nepal’s remittance‑dependent economy sees many workers earning abroad and sending money home, which skews local salary statistics upward. Bhutan’s government jobs are fairly stable, offering around $3,500 a year, while the Maldives, with its hospitality focus, sees a wide pay range from $1,800 to $5,000 depending on the role.

What’s common across all these countries? The sectors that dominate higher wages are tech, finance, and professional services. Meanwhile, agriculture, basic retail, and some parts of the informal economy stay on the low end. If you’re scouting a career, targeting growth industries can boost your earning potential.

Employment rates also vary. India’s unemployment rate hovers around 7%, but many of those unemployed are students or part‑time workers. Pakistan sees about 5% officially, though underemployment remains high. Bangladesh’s rate is roughly 4%, but again, a lot of the workforce is in informal jobs that don’t show up in official stats.

So, how can you use this info? If you’re a job seeker, compare your skill set with the high‑pay sectors listed above and consider upskilling. If you’re budgeting, adjust your expectations based on whether you’re in a metro or a rural area. And if you run a business, align salaries with local market rates to attract and keep talent.

Bottom line: Salary and employment statistics in South Asia are a moving target, but the patterns are clear. Tech and finance pay more, cities pay more, and knowing the numbers puts you in control of your next financial decision.