Chennai salaries sit ~30% below the India average
Chennai, IN lists 75 careers with observed metro percentiles in INR. Pay index 0.70 (30% below national); COL 100 vs a US baseline of 100.
Radiologist leads this Chennai table at ₹41,30,000 a year, with Surgeon at ₹40,40,000 and Psychiatrist at ₹38,20,000. The midpoint of the listed set is Frontend Developer at ₹14,10,000 — a better “typical covered career here” than row #1 alone. Top-of-list mix: 5 healthcare, 3 technology, and 1 finance & business.
Population in the dataset is about 4,681,087. Larger labour markets usually support wider industry mix; smaller ones can look “high paying” on one clinical or tech title and thin everywhere else. Domestic hiring and credential rules vary sharply by occupation even when cash medians are high.
India shows about 2.4% CPI in 2025. Open a role’s Chennai salary page for p10–p90, take-home, and rent models — this hub is the directory. Missing careers may still have a national India page even when this metro lacks observed percentiles.
Reading pay and COL together in Chennai
Use pay index (0.70) for wage level vs India, and COL (100) for prices. High on both is not the same as high real leftover.
Figures are observed metro medians where listed, in INR, gross. They are market estimates — not a promise from any one employer.
What tops the Chennai cash list
Radiologist: Radiologists interpret medical images to diagnose and guide treatment of disease. Observed median here: ₹41,30,000. That lead reflects how this metro prices the occupation, not a recommendation to retrain tomorrow.