Salary Myths of Returning to India from the USA

Posted On: September 30, 2011

While it’s tempting to believe all the stories you hear about those who have returned to India (R2I), it’s better to do your research and know the facts.A recent article in the Economic Times busted a few myths Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) have of moving back to India and working.

What are some myths NRIs have about salaries in India?

Salaries – Is it always greener on the other side?
Just as people would have given their tall tales about the ‘easy life in the USA,’ people will give their tall tales about moving back to India – especially when it comes to salary. Don’t believe everything you hear. Even if you move back temporarily, if you stay in India for any length of time, it’s highly unlikely that you will earn the same salary that you did abroad. Get the details from your company and research the cost of living in the city you will move to (India is more expensive now than when you left, especially for the NRI standard of living in India).

You will NOT be an Expat – You will Earn in Rupees
The main difference between being an expat or not is earning an expat salary in India. Though there are cases where this can happen, now a days it is rare. Your Indian rupee salary can be 40-70% of the salary abroad (especially if the previous country of residence was the USA). The best way to get your foot in the door in India may be to apply to positions in your current company in the US that are planning offshoring or outsourcing projects. In this way, your reputation is already known, the company is already known, and you may be able to keep some of your position or reputation as compared to starting in a new company where you don’t know anyone and have to learn the job from scratch.

The same job in India may not be the same abroad
The article quotes that Indian managers may hesitate to hire NRIs as they do not usually have experience managing such large teams or projects as those who started their career in India. Look into the details of any new job description, research the company, try to gain some relevant experience abroad if you want to transition to India.

Read the entire article on the Economic Times Website –
NRIs moving from the US to India: How much salary to expect

Posting articles from newspapers and websites that is of interest to the cross-cultural topics posted on this blog will be done from time to time.

Read an article written by blog author, Jennifer Kumar and Aseem Juneja, published in Mobility Magazine – Tackling the Issues of Hiring NRIs.