What is the salary of a GATE Topper in a Month: Know Topper's Salary Insights, Trends, and more
Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering 2026 ( GATE )
Exam On - 14 Feb '26
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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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 -
- PSU jobs through GATE
- MTech admissions with stipend in IITs, NITs, and other prestigious institutions
- Research fellowships and government scholarships
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
- 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:
- Why GATE data science and AI are emerging as the new-age CSE: Here's what experts say
- GATE 2026 eligibility: know who can apply, dates, fees and more
- Most Underrated GATE Branches that can lead to high-paying careers: check cutoff, placements, career opportunities
GATE PSU Salary Breakdown
Overall, GATE PSU salary covers Basic pay, Dearness Allowance (DA), HRA, Performance-based incentives, Medical Transport, and LTC perks.
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| 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.
Ideal for Students Who:
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
- 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
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered Yesterday
No, GATE is not a mandatory entrance exam for all PhD admissions at NIT Jalandhar. Candidates who are qualified for direct admissions at NIT Jalandhar's Engineering PhD courses are require to clear it during ME/MTech admissions.
However, for the remaining candidates, they can also appear for the UGC-
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
No, candidates who are applying through their GATE score are not required to appear for the Written Test conducted by IIIT Bhubaneshwar for M.Tech admissions. This Written Test is only meant for candidates who did not apply through a valid GATE score. Other candidates will be moved directly to the P
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered Yesterday
No, GATE is not a mandatory entrance exam for securing admissions at IIIT Bhubaneshwar. Candidates who fail to secure a GATE scorecard can still appear for the IIIT Bhubaneshwar M.Tech entrance exam which includes a written test. The syllabus of this written test is the same as the GATE.
S
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
GATE memory-based answer key, also known as the unofficial answer key released by several coaching institutes immediately after the completion of the exam. These questions are mainly derived by students feedback and might not be 100% accurate.
These memory-based GATE answer key helps students to ana
A
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
The GATE provisional answer key is an official document released by the official authorities along with the response sheet. The provisional answer key of GATE contains all the correct answers to the questions that were asked in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering.
With the help of the GATE 2026 pr
S
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
In GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) official answer key, MTA stands for Marks to All.
"Marks to All" states that the marks allotted to that question will be given to all candidates who attempted that particular test paper.
I
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
No, both are the same in difficulty level. GATE is conducted for 30 papers, while JAM is held for seven papers. The difficulty level of IIT JAM and GATE varies from paper to paper. To score good marks, students must focus on the exam syllabus and high-weightage topics.
V
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 2 days ago
A GATE score of 700 to 800 is mainly required for M.Tech admission at IIT (especially for top IITs). However, the score also depends on the IIT popularity, branch popularity, and other factors. For new IITs, a GATE score of 500 to 600 is mainly required.
It is advised to check the past year's GATE c
P
Contributor-Level 7
Answered 2 days ago
Based on last year's cutoff mark and number of students appearing in the exam, the expected GATE cutoff for DA this year can be checked below -
Category | Qualifying Marks |
|---|---|
General | 36.5 - 38.7 (This year, GATE DA is expected to get tough, as the registered candidates are increasing) |
OBC-NCL/EWS | 27.5 |
SC/ST/PwD | 20.0 |
S
Contributor-Level 7
As per past year cutoff trends and analysis, GATE 2026 cutoff can be around 25 to 50 marks for various disciplines/branches.