What is the salary of a GATE topper in a month? We all know that cracking GATE with a perfect percentile is a dream goal of thousands of engineering aspirants. It is mainly because qualifying for GATE with a top score opens doors to several career opportunities. From PSU recruitment to MTech admissions with stipends, fellowships, and more. However, one of the most googled questions lies in, How much does a GATE topper earn in a month? Well, not exact numbers, but we’ve got a well-researched answer for you. Read below for more.
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is national entrance test for admission to M.Tech courses at various engineering colleges. Every year lakhs of students take this test to get admission in the best colleges. After graduation, what does it pay?
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Latest Update: GATE 2026 branch-wise exam schedule released at gate2026.iitg.ac.in
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If
you are wondering, “What is the salary of a GATE topper in a month?”, this detailed blog will break it down based on the three most popular outcomes after clearing GATE -
The GATE 2025 cutoff of computer Science and information technology (category-wise) can be checked below -
- For general - 29.2
- OBC-NCL/EWS - 26.2
- SC/ST/PwD - 19.4
The cutoff is the minimum mark that is required for all candidates to qualify for the exam. IIT Guwahati will announce the GATE cutoff 2026 after the announcement of results.
Candidates can check GATE exam pattern and question distribution of the papers - AR, CY, DA, EY, GG, GE, MA, PH, ST, XH, and XL below -
- General aptitude section carry 15 marks and subject mark consists questions of 85 marks
- Total marks of GATE question paper - 100 marks
- Mode of exam is online and time duration is 3 hours
- PSU jobs through GATE
- MTech admissions with stipend in IITs, NITs, and other prestigious institutions
- Research fellowships and government scholarships
- Salary of a GATE Topper in a Month in PSU Jobs
- GATE PSU Salary Structure
- GATE PSU Salary Breakdown
- GATE-Based M.Tech Admissions: Monthly Stipend
- Choosing the Right Path After GATE
- Is the GATE Topper Salary Worth It?
- GATE Toppers Can Also Get into FAANG and Top Tech Companies
- Salary Package in FAANG via GATE Pathway
Salary of a GATE Topper in a Month in PSU Jobs
After qualifying GATE, getting a job in PSU company is considered one of the best achievements for aspirants. Many PSU companies like GAIL, ONGC, NALCO, etc accept GATE scores for recruitment.
GATE PSU Salary Structure
| PSU Category |
Monthly Gross Salary (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| Maharatna |
1.2 to 2.5 lakh |
| Navratna |
90,000 to 2 lakh |
| Miniratna |
70,000 to 1.5 lakh |
| NOTE: NALCO (National Aluminium Company Limited) offers competitive salaries for GATE-qualified engineers. During the training period, the salary is approximately 10.52 lakhs per annum, which increases to 15.73 lakhs per annum after confirmation and absorption as a Junior Manager. This includes basic pay, Dearness Allowance, and other allowances like HRA and cafeteria perquisites. |
Also read:
GATE PSU Salary Breakdown
Overall, GATE PSU salary covers Basic pay, Dearness Allowance (DA), HRA, Performance-based incentives, Medical Transport, and LTC perks.
| NOTE: Airport Authority of India salary for Junior Executive (ATC) is between 40,000 to 1,40,000. After deduction this amount is between 65,000 to 75,000 per month. During the training stipend of 40,000 to 45,000 is offered. Also, the pay scale for Junior Executive [Group-B: E-1 Level] is around Rs. 40000 to 140000. |
GATE Topper's PSU Salary Revealed
Candidates can check average salary range of a GATE Topper in a month (company-wise).
| PSUs | Salary Offered | College | Average GATE salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| NTPC | 18 LPA | IIT Bombay | 16.5 LPA |
| EIL | 19 LPA | IISc | 22.5 LPA |
| PGCIL | 18 LPA | IIT Madras | 13 LPA |
| ONGC | 16.5 LPA | IIT Kanpur | 15.3 LPA |
| HPCL | 16 LPA | IIT Delhi | 16.1 LPA |
Real Insights from GATE Rank Holders in PSUs
Here’s what GATE toppers have shared about their GATE salary insights on student forums and communities -
| “After deductions, I take home around 70,000 per month in a Maharatna PSU, and most facilities like housing and electricity are covered.” “For CS branch, a few select PSUs offer 1.2 lakh/month in-hand salary to toppers.” |
GATE-Based M.Tech Admissions: Monthly Stipend
Qualifying GATE offers financial assistance to students during their academic period -
- Financial Assistance given to M.Tech students is Rs. 12,400 per month and generally paid for 22 months.
- Financial Assistance given for Ph.D. programs (Direct PhD after B.E./B.Tech/M.Sc equivalent with a valid GATE score) is Rs. 37,000 per month for the first two years and Rs. 42,000 per month from the third to the fifth year.
Important: To continue receiving this stipend, candidates must meet required eligibility for GATE scholarship.
The GATE 2026 cutoff will be released along with the results or after a few days. IIT Guwahati will announce the GATE 2026 result on March 19. The cutoff will be different for each subject/branch and varies every year. For preparation or planning their dream college/institute, candidates must refer to the previous year's GATE cutoff. Going through the cutoff of the respective branch helps students to understand the difficulty level of the question papers.
The IIT Roorkee conducted GATE 2025 exam. The cutoff for GATE EE (last year) can be checked below -
- cutoff for general category - 25
- cutoff for OBC-NCL or EWS category - 22.5
- and cutoff for SC/ST category was 16.6
This year, IIT Guwahati is conducting GATE 2026. Candidates can refer to these cutoff and plan their choice filling.
The GATE 2025 cutoff for Aerospace Engineering (category-wise) can be checked below -
- General category - 28.9
- OBC-NCL or EWS category - 26
- SC/ST category - 19.2
Ideal for Students Who:
- Prefer academic and research careers
- Want to build a PhD profile
- Aspire for faculty roles or R&D positions
Research Fellowships and Central Government Roles via GATE
GATE score is also valid for various fellowship programs, PhD entries, and research jobs. You can join ISRO, BARC, DRDO, or IIT research projects.
Monthly Salary in Research-Based Jobs
| Role | Salary per month |
|---|---|
| JRF Roles | INR 31,000 |
| SRF roles | INR 35,000 |
| DRDO/ISRO Research Jobs | INR 80,000 - INR 1.25 Lakh |
GATE Topper Monthly Salary Vs Career Option
| Career Path |
Monthly Take-Home (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| PSU Jobs (Maharatna) |
1 to 2.5 lakh |
| PSU Jobs (Navratna/Miniratna) |
70,000 to 2 lakh |
| M.Tech (AICTE Stipend) |
12,400 |
| JRF/SRF Fellowships |
31,000 to 35,000 |
| PMRF Fellowship |
70,000 + research grant |
| DRDO/ISRO Scientist Roles |
80,000 to 1.25 lakh |
Choosing the Right Path After GATE
The best salary after GATE doesn’t just mean the highest number. Here’s how to choose based on your career goals-
| If You Want |
Choose |
|---|---|
| Job security, great salary, work-life balance |
PSU Job |
| Academic career, research exposure |
M.Tech or Fellowship |
| PhD/Research with higher funding |
PMRF or CSIR Fellowships |
Is the GATE Topper Salary Worth It?
Yes, absolutely, achieving a top GATE score under 100 or even under 1000 in GATE, you can open opportunities to high-paying PSU jobs, like GAIL, AAI, ONGC, etc. Overall, the starting salary of the GATE toppers can upto 2.5 lakh above (depending on your skills and branch).
GATE Toppers Can Also Get into FAANG and Top Tech Companies
We all know that GATE is a pathway to PSU jobs and MTech admissions. Do you also know that, GATE aspirants can also get into FAANG companies - Facebook (Meta), Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google, and other top tech companies like Microsoft, Adobe, etc.
How to get into FAANG companies through GATE
- With a good GATE rank/score, you can get into elite institutions, like IITs and crack college placements.
- Build your understanding in topics like operating system, DBMS, and computer networks
- Get into internships to gain experience.
Salary Package in FAANG via GATE Pathway
| Company |
Monthly Salary (Approx.) |
|---|---|
| Google/Meta (India) |
2.5 to 4 lakh per month (35–50 LPA) |
| Amazon |
1.5 to 3 lakh/month (20–35 LPA) |
| Microsoft |
1.7 to 2.5 lakh/month (25–35 LPA) |
Also read:
- How to get a job in FAANG Companies through GATE
- Why are GATE DSA and CN hot topics in students' communities and forums?
Even if FAANG companies don’t directly hire based on the GATE score, GATE can be your ticket to elite tech campuses where they do. A GATE topper’s journey can very well end with a dream job in the global tech industry, not just government or academia. Whether you’re aiming for financial independence or a career in academia, the GATE exam rewards merit like few other exams in India.

Upasana Pradhan is an Mtech graduate in Electronics and Communication Engineering from DTU who specialises in curating postgraduate and undergraduate engineering entrance exam content, such as GATE, TS PGECET, KCET,
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Student Forum
Answered 2 days ago
Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati will release GATE admit card 2026. The hall ticket will be released at GOAPS 2026. Candidates have to enter their enrollment ID and password to obtain admit card of GATE exam.
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
GATE admit card release date is January 2, 2026. However, the release time for GATE 2026 admit card has not yet announced by authorities.
H
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 5 days ago
Yes, the TS PGECET and GATE syllabus remains the same for M.Tech admission. However, GATE questions are trickier and conceptual compared to TS PGECET. Students who want to appear both TS PGECET and GATE must prepare accordingly-
- Go through pattern of both exams and syllabus
- Solve mock test and questio
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Candidates can check their offer status using their login ID and password obtained during COAP registration. GATE COAP offers will be displayed on given date and time only, where students have to confirm their choices.
I
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
The COAP counselling is done online only. For registrations, students need to keep the following details ready-
- GATE application details
- Scores secured in GATE exam
- Mobile number and email address
P
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
Candidates who have qualified GATE exam will be eligible for GATE COAP counselling. The counselling offer admission to IITs. The admission counselling registration is online and is done in multiple rounds depending on seat availability.
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
GATE CCMT counselling is expected to start in June/July. Students who have qualified in GATE exam 2026 and want to take admission in NITs and other engineering colleges must register and participate in CCMT. The dates will be updated here for each round.
B
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
GATE 2026 COAP counselling dates will be released in June/July after the announcement of results. Students who want to take admission in IITs must register through COAP for counselling.
T
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
GATE 2026 Electronics and Communication paper will be conducted on February 15 in the first shift. Students who have regsitered for EC paper must download their admit card on January 2.
H
Contributor-Level 7
Answered a week ago
IIT Guwahati will conduct GATE CSE exam on February 8, 2026 in two shifts. The CS1 will be held in first shift and CS2 in second shift. The exam timings can be checked below-
- CS1 paper - 9:30 am to 12:30 pm
- CS2 paper- 2:30 am to 5:30 pm
A
Contributor-Level 7
Admit Card - 2 Jan '26
As per past year cutoff trends and analysis, GATE 2026 cutoff can be around 25 to 50 marks for various disciplines/branches.