- A friend earned Rs 18 lakh annually in Bengaluru, saving Rs 3-4 lakh yearly after expenses
- He completed a $75,000 US Masters funded mainly by education loans over two years
- Post-Masters job paid Rs 1.32 crore base plus Rs 13.6 lakh bonus in a mid-cost US city
In a post on X that has gone viral, a techie shared the financial transformation of his friend who pursued a Master's degree in the United States. Abhishek Singh highlighted how there was a significant shift in savings potential after his friend relocated and completed higher education in the US.
His friend earned around Rs 18 lakh annually in Bengaluru, with savings of about Rs 3-4 lakh per year after rent, family expenses, and flights home. He then pursued a two-year master's degree in the United States, costing approximately $75,000, including $55,000 in tuition and $20,000 in living expenses, largely funded by an education loan.
Post-graduation, he landed a job with a base salary of Rs 1.32 crore and a Rs 13.6 lakh bonus in a mid-cost city, taking home roughly Rs 74.5 lakh yearly after taxes. To expedite loan repayment, he adopted a frugal lifestyle for 18 months, sharing accommodation and minimising expenses.
He cleared his loan in 20 months by paying around Rs 3.63 lakh monthly. Now, he saves roughly Rs 90.7 lakh yearly and invests in retirement and index funds, while his annual living expenses are Rs 40.8 lakh.
See the post here:
Singh used this case to argue that pursuing a master's abroad can be a valid financial "turning point" if the math is done correctly for individual cases. However, the post sparked debate on social media, with some pointing out that a Rs 1.32 crore base salary right out of a Master's program likely places the individual in the top 5% of graduates.
One user wrote, "Those who get Rs 1.32 crore base + Rs 13.6 lakh bonus right out of MS are probably in the top 5% of all Indians doing MS."
Another commented, "For some people, MS is life-changing. For others, it becomes debt + stress + visa anxiety. Your friend made it work because he got a strong job, controlled expenses, and aggressively paid off the loan. That discipline matters as much as the degree. The real answer is simple: don't follow hype, follow your numbers and your risk appetite."
A third said, "The math does not add up. More than 70% of my batchmates work in the US and these numbers are too good to be true. Average taxes in the US barring exception states is in the range of 25-30%, and then you add living expenses and then the balance would be savings."
A fourth added, "All true. But getting a job isn't as easy as you make it sound. It usually takes 2k applications and a lot of networking to get a job. And if you don't get one by a specific time limit you'll end up with 100k debt that you'll have to earn and pay in rupees."
