India’s economic scenario in 2025 underlines a sharp divide in daily wages across the states and the union territories. Despite an average daily wage of Rs 1,077, figures from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) indicate that industrialised and urbanised states are far ahead of the curve.
Delhi holds the top position with an average wage of Rs 1,346, driven by its concentration of government offices, financial institutions and corporate headquarters. It is followed closely by Karnataka (Rs 1,296) and Maharashtra (Rs 1,231), indicating the growing dominance of Bengaluru and Mumbai in India’s technology and services economy.
The top ten states with the highest average daily wages in 2025 are:
1. Delhi- Rs 1,346
2. Karnataka-Rs 1,269
3. Maharashtra-Rs 1,231
4. Telangana-Rs 1,192
5. Haryana-Rs 1,154
6. Tamil Nadu-Rs 1,115
7. Gujarat-Rs 1,077
8. Uttar Pradesh-Rs 1,038
9. Andhra Pradesh-Rs 1,000
10. Punjab-Rs 962
Big cities offer higher salaries
These differences are marked based on variations in industrialisation, economic diversification and skill composition. Delhi’s closeness to Gurugram and Noida supports higher pay levels, whereas Karnataka’s tech sector, led by Bengaluru, offers premium salaries for skilled professionals. Maharashtra and Pune are backed by the manufacturing, finance and entertainment sectors.
States like Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Haryana continue to expand their pharma, IT and automotive manufacturing, driving wage growth in their urban belts. On the other hand, several rural and eastern regions fall behind, where informal labour and agricultural dependency keep wages low.
Bridging this divide will require investment in skill development, spreading industries beyond big cities and labour reforms.