Rs 36 Lakh Remote Job Vs Rs 62 Lakh Google Salary: Post Explains How Lower CTC Can Mean Higher Take-Home

A viral comparison by an X user has highlighted that a lower remote salary often beats a high CTC (Cost to Company) in take-home pay. A Rs 36 lakh remote role can provide higher monthly cash than a Rs 62 lakh Google package due to high stock vesting components and taxes on large CTCs, allowing the remote worker to net higher liquidity.

Devaansh Bhandari, a founding engineer at Y Combinator-backed startup Wavelength, shared on X that one of his friends earns a Rs 62 lakh CTC at Google, while another works as a remote contractor making about Rs 36 lakh annually. Despite the large gap on paper, he pointed out that the contractor may end up with higher monthly liquidity.

The comparison drew attention to how compensation is structured in large tech firms. Instead of being paid entirely in cash, salaries are typically split into base pay, stock grants, and performance bonuses, with a significant portion tied to RSUs that vest over several years rather than being immediately accessible.

Breaking down the Rs 62 lakh package, Bhandari estimated roughly Rs 22 lakh as base salary, around Rs 35 lakh in stock grants spread over four years, and about Rs 5 lakh as bonus. This reduces the effective yearly cash component well below the headline figure. After taxes, the monthly take-home is estimated to fall in the range of Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 1.8 lakh.

In contrast, the remote contractor's Rs 36 lakh income is largely paid out as direct cash, improving monthly liquidity. Bhandari noted that taxation further widens the gap. Under Section 44ADA of the Income Tax Act, eligible professionals can declare 50 percent of their income as taxable, lowering their tax burden.

As a result, the contractor is estimated to pay around Rs 2 lakh in taxes annually while taking home roughly Rs 2.7 lakh to Rs 2.9 lakh per month.

See the tweet here:

My friend has a ₹62L CTC at Google.
Another friend is a Remote Contractor making ~₹36L ($38k).

On paper → almost 2x higher compensation (₹62L vs ₹36L)
In the bank → Remote dev wins by a mile.

Here's the math 👇

— Devaansh Bhandari (@ThisIsBhandari) May 6, 2026

The post triggered widespread discussion online, with users weighing in on compensation structures, taxation, and the difference between headline salaries and real income.

One user wrote, "Also on site job are in big cities (like bangalore) where cost of living is also high. Remotely you can work from your hometown, which is low cost (no rent, own home, no food cost)."

Another commented, "The stocks will eventually prove to be so beneficial but yeah in liquid money, it's better. But also 44ADA is ineffective at 75L+."