According to TeamLease Services’ Jobs & Salaries Primer FY2026–27, based on a survey covering 1,268 businesses across 23 industries and 20 cities in India, the Automotive industry is projected to record a 9.2% salary increment in FY2026–27, compared with 9.4% in FY2025–26. While salary growth has moderated marginally, continued investments in EV transition, advanced manufacturing and R&D are keeping compensation growth strong, albeit in a more focused manner.
Consumer-facing roles continue to command the strongest premiums
Sales & Marketing leads the salary growth curve, with Marketing Executives and Showroom Sales Executives both projected at 10%, followed by Field Sales Executives at 9.6%. The trend indicates that despite the industry's technology-led transformation, customer acquisition and showroom activity remain important drivers of business growth.
Digital dealership capabilities are moving closer to the core
System Administrators are projected to receive a 9.7% increment, followed by IT Support Executives at 9.6%. Their positioning alongside sales roles points towards increasing digital integration within dealership operations and customer engagement.
Advanced manufacturing is creating demand for technical talent
CNC & Robot Operators are projected at 9.5%, while Service Engineers stand at 9.4%. These roles reflect the growing importance of automation, technical servicing and operational efficiency as automotive manufacturing becomes increasingly sophisticated.
OEM ecosystems continue to anchor salary growth
Gurgaon and Chennai lead at 9.8% each, supported by their strong OEM manufacturing ecosystems. These cities continue to represent the industry's established manufacturing base and remain key centres for automotive talent.
EV and R&D activity strengthens the outlook for Delhi and Pune
Delhi and Pune are both projected at 9.7%, with the report linking their momentum to EV assembly, mobility innovation and R&D activity. This highlights how salary growth is beginning to follow the industry's newer technology and innovation centres alongside traditional manufacturing hubs.
Compensation is increasingly reflecting business priorities
The sector's salary outlook demonstrates a clear shift towards selective compensation. Rather than salary growth being distributed evenly, stronger increments are concentrated around roles supporting revenue generation, digital integration, advanced manufacturing and service delivery.
The automotive talent equation is becoming more integrated
The simultaneous strength of sales, technology and engineering roles suggests that the industry's next phase will require talent capable of operating across traditionally separate functions. The report describes this as a move towards EVs and smarter manufacturing, with salary growth following the capabilities needed to enable that transition.
Balasubramanian A, Senior Vice President, TeamLease Services, “The automotive sector is moving through a significant transition, and the salary trends reflect that shift. While customer-facing roles continue to remain critical, we are also seeing stronger demand for technology, automation and engineering capabilities. As EV adoption and smarter manufacturing deepen, organisations will increasingly need talent that can combine domain expertise with digital and technical capabilities.”
