New Delhi, March 3 (NationPress) The landscape of compensation in India is transitioning to a more selective and skills-focused wage structure, as indicated by a report published on Tuesday. It reveals that professionals are anticipating salary increases of 6–10 percent.

High-demand sectors such as artificial intelligence, digital technologies, electric vehicles (EV), and specialized technical positions are seeing expectations that exceed 10 percent, according to the Adecco India ‘2026 Salary Guide’.

This report underscores talent shortages in specialized fields, escalating labor costs, and the urgent need for extensive reskilling to adapt to rapid technological changes.

Skills in leadership and management (22 percent), artificial intelligence and machine learning (16 percent), and project management (15 percent) are emerging as the most vital over the next five years.

Labour market trends reveal a sense of cautious optimism: 42 percent of professionals are actively pursuing new job opportunities, while 47 percent are open to new offers but are not actively searching, as reported.

In the healthcare sector, transitions in clinical research and regulatory affairs could lead to salary hikes of 20–35 percent, whereas roles in fintech and data finance may experience increases of 30–40 percent.

IT professionals, including AI/ML engineers, data engineers, and cybersecurity experts, typically anticipate growth of 10–12 percent.

Other digital positions, such as full-stack, cloud, and DevOps engineers, generally expect increases of 8–10 percent. Strategic leadership roles in BFSI, such as CFOs and CROs, earn salaries more than double the market average, while metropolitan areas offer pay that is 10–20 percent higher than Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Retention strategies are increasingly influenced by a holistic view of employment value, with work-life balance (25 percent), professional development (23 percent), brand reputation (16 percent), managerial quality and culture (14 percent), and benefits (13 percent) identified as significant factors. Flexible work arrangements are prevalent, with 43 percent in hybrid positions, 35 percent fully remote, and 22 percent entirely on-site.

Nevertheless, the rise of AI presents challenges, as 65 percent of professionals express concerns about bias in AI-driven screening processes, while 35–45 percent worry that automation may reduce job prospects.

Sunil C., Country Manager at Adecco India, observed a distinct shift in India's employment environment towards a more selective, skills-oriented model as digital transformation and automation redefine talent requirements.

“Salary increases in 2026 are projected to remain moderate at 6–10 percent across most sectors, with more substantial growth concentrated in emerging fields such as Generative AI, data science, cloud computing, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, IoT, quantum computing, and augmented reality over the forthcoming three to five years,” he stated.