India’s salary landscape in 2025 reveals a significant variation in daily earnings.
The national average salary in India is approximately ₹1,077 per day, which totals around ₹28,000 monthly (calculated based on 26 working days).
In terms of average salary in USD, this equates to $337 per month (using the exchange rate of ₹83 = $1).
However, daily wages vary considerably across regions. Delhi leads with ₹1,346 per day, while Lakshadweep records ₹462 per day.
By utilizing a table of state-wise daily wage rates for India’s 28 states and 8 Union Territories (UTs), we can analyze the reasons behind these wage disparities, supported by data, explanations, and facts for clarity.
What is the daily wage in India in 2025

| Rank | State/Union Territory | Daily Wage Rate (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delhi | 1,346 |
| 2 | Karnataka | 1,269 |
| 3 | Maharashtra | 1,231 |
| 4 | Telangana | 1,192 |
| 5 | Haryana | 1,154 |
| 6 | Tamil Nadu | 1,115 |
| 7 | Gujarat | 1,077 |
| 8 | Uttar Pradesh | 1,038 |
| 9 | Andhra Pradesh | 1,000 |
| 10 | Punjab | 962 |
| 11 | Kerala | 942 |
| 12 | West Bengal | 923 |
| 13 | Goa | 904 |
| 14 | Chandigarh | 885 |
| 15 | Himachal Pradesh | 865 |
| 16 | Uttarakhand | 846 |
| 17 | Rajasthan | 827 |
| 18 | Odisha | 808 |
| 19 | Madhya Pradesh | 788 |
| 20 | Chhattisgarh | 769 |
| 21 | Jharkhand | 750 |
| 22 | Assam | 731 |
| 23 | Puducherry | 712 |
| 24 | Jammu and Kashmir | 692 |
| 25 | Tripura | 673 |
| 26 | Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 654 |
| 27 | Sikkim | 635 |
| 28 | Arunachal Pradesh | 615 |
| 29 | Manipur | 596 |
| 30 | Meghalaya | 577 |
| 31 | Mizoram | 558 |
| 32 | Nagaland | 538 |
| 33 | Bihar | 519 |
| 34 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 500 |
| 35 | Ladakh | 481 |
| 36 | Lakshadweep | 462 |
National Average: ₹1,077/day
The table illustrates daily wages that range from ₹462 in Lakshadweep to ₹1,346 in Delhi. This data is derived from projected monthly wages for 2025, divided by 26 working days.
For instance, Delhi’s monthly wage of ₹35,000 translates to ₹1,346 per day.
The national average of ₹1,077 per day has increased from ₹811 per day in 2024 (based on ₹21,103 per month), attributed to an 8.8% wage increase.
In terms of average salary in India in pounds, this amounts to approximately £256 per month (using the exchange rate of ₹109 = £1), or £10 per day.
In euros, it translates to €307 per month or €12 per day (using the exchange rate of ₹92 = €1).
Nevertheless, these figures obscure a significant divide among the states.
High-Wage States: Where Salaries Are Higher
Delhi tops the list with ₹1,346 per day, followed closely by Karnataka at ₹1,269 per day and Maharashtra at ₹1,231 per day.
What accounts for this? Delhi is home to numerous high-paying positions in sectors such as government, IT, and finance.
Consider the offices in Gurgaon—companies are in need of skilled professionals, prompting them to offer higher salaries to attract talent.
Karnataka, particularly with Bengaluru’s thriving tech industry, offers lucrative opportunities in coding and engineering.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra, especially Mumbai, benefits from its finance and film industries, which contribute to elevated wage levels.
Following these are Haryana at ₹1,154 per day and Tamil Nadu at ₹1,115 per day. Haryana’s proximity to Delhi allows for industrial job opportunities in factories located in Faridabad.
Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, serves as a center for automobile manufacturing and IT, which enhances daily earnings.
These states boast robust economies—Delhi’s GDP per capita stands at ₹4,44,000 per year, significantly surpassing the national average—enabling them to sustain higher wage levels.
What constitutes a decent salary in India on a monthly basis? In these regions, earning ₹30,000 or more (equivalent to ₹1,154 per day) is considered good, as it sufficiently covers living expenses such as rent and food in urban areas.
Data indicates that urban employment opportunities offer salaries that are 20-50% higher than those in rural settings due to the specialized skills required.
Low-Wage States: Reasons for Lower Salaries
Lakshadweep, with a daily wage of ₹462, Ladakh at ₹481 per day, and Bihar at ₹519 per day represent the states with the lowest wages.
Lakshadweep is a small island where job opportunities are primarily in fishing or tourism, sectors that typically offer lower pay. Ladakh’s remote and mountainous terrain limits employment options to government roles or small enterprises.
In Bihar, the economy is heavily reliant on agriculture, where daily laborers earn between ₹300 and ₹400, which depresses the average wage.
Northeastern states such as Nagaland, with a daily wage of ₹538, and Mizoram at ₹558 per day, face similar challenges.
Their distance from major markets and economies that depend on agriculture or handicrafts hinder their ability to offer competitive wages.
What contributes to this low wage scenario? These states exhibit low GDP per capita—Bihar’s is merely ₹54,000 per year—and a scarcity of skilled job opportunities.
The agricultural sector does not necessitate advanced degrees, resulting in persistently low wages.
Reports indicate that rural areas typically offer compensation that is half of what is available in urban centers.
What Factors Contribute to Wage Disparities?
Daily wages fluctuate due to several primary factors:
Urban vs. Rural: Metropolitan areas such as Delhi offer higher wages (₹1,346/day) as positions in IT or corporate sectors require specialized skills.
In contrast, rural regions like Bihar (₹519/day) depend on agriculture, which generally provides lower compensation.
Types of Employment: States with a strong technology sector, like Karnataka, boast high-paying industries.
Conversely, states focused on agriculture, such as Meghalaya (₹577/day), tend to have lower-paying jobs.
Economic Stability: States with a high GDP, such as Gujarat (₹1,077/day), are able to offer better wages.
On the other hand, states with lower GDP, like Jharkhand (₹750/day), struggle to provide competitive pay.
Living Expenses: The elevated wages in Delhi correspond to its high cost of living—rent consumes about 30% of earnings. In contrast, the lower wages in Bihar stretch further due to the lower cost of living.
Regulatory Framework: Minimum wage laws establish baseline pay—set nationally at ₹178/day—but states like Delhi have increased this to ₹612/day for unskilled labor.
Data from 2024 indicates that the national average monthly wage is ₹21,103, projected to rise by 8.8% to ₹28,000 in 2025.
The disparities between states are largely attributed to urbanization, with cities offering pay that is 20-50% higher.
Future Prospects
Daily wages in India are on the rise, yet disparities persist. Urban states are at the forefront due to job availability and skill requirements, while rural areas lag behind due to fewer opportunities.
To bridge this divide, India must create more employment options in regions like Bihar.
Currently, the average salary in India, when converted to euros (€307/month) or pounds (£256/month), appears reasonable on a national scale, but shows significant variation across different states.
Source
- BusinessToday. (2022, July 15). Construction workers’ wages in India: State-wise analysis 2021-22. Retrieved September 2, 2025, from https://www.businesstoday.in/india/story/state-wise-wages-construction-workers
- Trading Economics. (2024). India average monthly wages 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2025, from https://tradingeconomics.com/india/wages
- Paycheck.in. (2023). India’s minimum wage structure: State-wise data. Retrieved September 2, 2025, from https://paycheck.in/salary/minimum-wages-india/




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