Does job hopping actually pay more: Woman who changed 4 jobs shares her experience
A woman's five-year career journey, during which she says her salary grew from 5 lakh per annum to nearly 30 lakh after four company switches, has sparked a conversation about whether changing jobs can accelerate salary growth. Shrasti Chaudhary shared her experience on Instagram, saying her first switch doubled her salary, while later moves brought hikes of between 30 and 50 per cent.
Her experience comes at a time when a large number of Indian professionals are considering job changes even after receiving annual salary increments. The foundit Appraisal Trends Report 2025, also referred to as the foundit Appraisal Survey 2024 to 25, surveyed 5,108 professionals across sectors and roles. It found that 74 per cent of employees received an increment from FY24 to 25, with most hikes falling between 5 and 10 per cent. Yet, around 85 to 86 per cent said they planned to switch jobs.
The numbers raise a larger question about why employees continue to look outside their organisations even after receiving a raise, and whether switching companies is becoming an important part of salary negotiations. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shrasti Chaudhary| Finance & Money (@financewith_shrasti)HER SALARY DOUBLED AFTER THE FIRST SWITCHChaudhary said she began her career with a 5 LPA salary. According to her, her first job switch resulted in a 100 per cent hike. She later received increases of between 30 and 50 per cent with subsequent switches and eventually reached nearly six times her starting salary.
She also advised professionals to check their market value regularly, even when they are not actively planning to leave their current company.
Her experience, however, is an individual case and does not mean every professional can expect similar increases by changing jobs.WHY SWITCHING CAN SOMETIMES BRING MORE MONEY
Annual appraisals and salary increases are often governed by an organisation's internal budgets and compensation structures. An external candidate, on the other hand, may be assessed against the salary range for a new role and current market demand.
Broader industry salary benchmarks suggest that job switches can sometimes result in increases of around 20 to 35 per cent, although the figure varies considerably by sector, role and experience. This range should not be attributed directly to the foundit appraisal survey, which focuses primarily on increments and employee intentions.
Industry reports have also pointed to premiums for certain specialised skills and external hires.FOUNDit DATA SHOWS WHY EMPLOYEES ARE LOOKING OUTSIDE
The foundit Appraisal Trends Report 2025 provides important context to the job switching conversation.
While 74 per cent of surveyed professionals received an increment, most increases were between 5 and 10 per cent. At the same time, around 85 to 86 per cent planned to change jobs.
Importantly, the desire to switch was not limited to people who received very small raises. The report found that even some employees who received hikes of 15 to 20 per cent or more than 20 per cent still planned to move.
This suggests that salary is not the only reason employees consider leaving. Career growth, role, work environment and better opportunities can also influence the decision.
The survey also found differences across sectors. Advertising, education and IT had higher shares of professionals reporting no salary hike, while energy and BFSI saw relatively better payouts.RECRUITER WARNS AGAINST FREQUENT JOB CHANGES
Ashish Dhawan, Managing Partner at NGS Global India, said job hopping can accelerate salary growth, but recruiters can become cautious when they see repeated short stints on a CV.
βI am personally cautious about candidates with frequent job changes, particularly in Sales,β Dhawan said.
He explained that sales professionals often need time to demonstrate results. If someone leaves after 10 or 12 months without showing targets achieved, revenue generated or a meaningful customer pipeline, recruiters may question the reason behind the move.
βWhy would a salesperson who is doing well leave before getting his incentives?β he said.
According to Dhawan, a CV made up of several one-year stints can raise questions about whether a candidate is building a career or simply moving from one company to another.A 40 OR 50 PER CENT HIKE IS NOT GUARANTEED
Dhawan also cautioned against treating large salary jumps as an automatic outcome of changing jobs.
In his experience, even established companies can have rigid compensation policies. He said some reputed organisations may not offer more than around a 20 per cent hike on a candidate's existing salary, regardless of how attractive the profile is.
This makes the idea of receiving a 40 or 50 per cent increase after every switch unrealistic as a universal career strategy.SALARY GROWTH SHOULD COME WITH SKILL GROWTH
Arindam Mukherjee, Co-founder and CEO of NextLeap, said professionals should not treat changing jobs every one or two years simply as a way to earn more money.
According to Mukherjee, the real benefit of changing jobs comes when the move also means upgrading skills or taking on a more difficult, larger or more complex role. He said organisations are increasingly looking beyond the names of previous employers and paying attention to the actual results candidates have delivered in their previous roles.
For young professionals, he suggested focusing first on developing skills that are relevant to the market and proving their ability through their work. Once a professional consistently creates more value, switching jobs can become an opportunity to translate that value into better compensation.
However, moving between companies without developing new capabilities could result in a higher salary without meaningful career progress.
Mukherjee said the traditional idea of building a career based mainly on the number of years spent in a role is changing, with greater focus now being placed on skills and results.
He said professionals should therefore look beyond the question of how much more they will earn after switching jobs and also consider what they will learn, own and be able to demonstrate in the next role.- Ends
Smarica Pant is a senior digital media content writer and editor with over 13 years of experience in news reporting and feature writing. A natural storyteller with a keen eye for emerging trends, she has consistently delivered impactful content that informs, engages and resonates with diverse audiences.
With strong expertise in multimedia storytelling, social media strategy and SEO-led content, Smarica has successfully navigated and adapted to the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Her strength lies in shaping compelling narratives while upholding the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Over the years, she has also mentored young writers, led key editorial initiatives and played an active role in building content strategies that balance reach with relevance.
