Infosys pays freshers on a role ladder, and the same recruitment season can land you anywhere between ₹3.6 LPA and ₹21 LPA depending on which assessment you clear. This is the single best reason to prepare beyond the basic Systems Engineer test.
Infosys fresher salary structure (2026 cycle)
| Role | Package (CTC) | Selection route |
|---|---|---|
| Systems Engineer (SE) | ~₹3.6 LPA | Standard aptitude test + interview |
| Digital Specialist Engineer (DSE) | ~₹6.25–6.5 LPA | Coding assessment (easy–medium problems) |
| Specialist Programmer (SP) L1 | ~₹10 LPA | Coding assessment (hard problems) / HackWithInfy |
| Specialist Programmer (SP) L2 | ~₹16 LPA | Coding assessment (higher band) |
| Specialist Programmer (SP) L3 | ~₹21 LPA + stock options | Coding assessment (top band) |
In the 2026 off-campus drive, DSE Trainee offers included a ₹75,000 joining bonus and SP L1 offers a ₹1,00,000 joining bonus; SP L3 additionally carries stock options.
What the CTC means in hand
Infosys includes employer PF contribution and gratuity provision inside the CTC figure, so the monthly credit is lower than CTC ÷ 12. As a working estimate, a ₹3.6 LPA Systems Engineer takes home roughly ₹26,000–28,000 per month after PF and professional tax (income tax is typically nil at this level under the new regime), while a ₹6.5 LPA DSE takes home roughly ₹49,000.
Growth after joining
- First appraisal typically lands 6–12% for SEs; promotions to Senior Systems Engineer commonly come in 2–3 years.
- Internal skill certifications (via Infosys's learning platforms) feed the "power programmer" style tracks with faster hikes.
- Switching tracks is possible: SEs who later clear internal coding assessments can move toward specialist roles.
The salary ladder is decided by the assessment you clear — see the Specialist Programmer & DSE page for how the coding test maps to each band.