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A newly qualified CA’s first job offer averaged Rs 13.30 lakh a year in ICAI’s campus placement drive of April to May 2026, with the highest offer at Rs 27.50 lakh. A large self-reported survey puts CAs with up to one year of experience lower, at Rs 8.4 to 9.3 lakh a year.
This page is only about the first job and the first year after qualifying. It does not cover how a CA’s pay changes over a career, by employer or by city, which chartered accountant salary in India covers in full. The figures here match that page. All were read on 20 October 2026 and are annual cost-to-company (CTC) in rupees unless stated. If you are earlier in the journey, start with how to become a chartered accountant.
What is the starting salary of a CA fresher in India?
It depends on whether you join through ICAI’s campus programme or search for a job yourself. ICAI’s Placement Directorate reports an average CTC of Rs 13.30 lakh and a highest of Rs 27.50 lakh for its 64th campus drive, held in April to May 2026, with 185 organisations registered and 2,570 candidates offered jobs (ICAI Placement Directorate).
| Group | Figure (lakh rupees a year) | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| ICAI campus placement, average CTC | 13.30 | ICAI Placement Directorate, 64th drive, Apr-May 2026 |
| ICAI campus placement, highest CTC | 27.50 | Same, 64th drive |
| ICAI campus placement, minimum CTC in earlier drives | 9 at most centres, 7.2 at a few smaller ones | ICAI Prospectus 2026 |
| CAs with 0 to 1 year of experience, typical range | 8.4 to 9.3 | AmbitionBox, 1.6k self-reported salaries, read 20 Oct 2026 |
| CAs with 1 to 3 years of experience | 8.8 to 9.7 | AmbitionBox, 4.5k salaries |
| First-year raise or bonus for freshers | No reliable published data | None found |
The Prospectus does not date its minimum CTC to a single drive, so treat it as background, not the 2026 minimum.
Why is the campus number higher than the survey number?
They count different people: the campus figure covers newly qualified CAs who registered for ICAI’s drive and received an offer, while the survey covers anyone who reported a first-year CA salary at any employer. The full explanation is on the main CA salary page; the fresher’s takeaway is simple. If you secure a campus offer, plan around the ICAI figures. If you search off campus or join a smaller firm, Rs 8.4 to 9.3 lakh is the safer planning figure. ICAI’s Prospectus says 50% to 70% of registered candidates got offers in earlier drives and the rest were absorbed off campus within months, but it gives no pay data for that second group.
Which employers hire newly qualified CAs on campus?
For the December 2025 to January 2026 drive, ICAI’s Career Counselling Committee lists the top sectors as banking and financial services, professional services (consulting), IT services and consulting, and financial services. Next come infrastructure and energy conglomerates, audit firms, metals and mining, oil and gas conglomerates, pharmaceuticals, and power and energy. It reports a highest domestic offer of Rs 32.33 lakh for that drive and says campus placements are held twice a year (ICAI placement page).
The 65th programme for May-exam passers was scheduled for August to September 2026, and the ICAI page publishes no statistics for it yet, so the 64th drive remains the latest set of results we can quote. The recruiters, the sector mix and the pay differ from drive to drive.
How do ICAI campus offers compare from one drive to the next?
The average has stayed in the low teens of lakhs and the highest offer moves between about Rs 27 and 32 lakh. ICAI’s prospectus reports an average of more than Rs 12 lakh and a highest of Rs 31.50 lakh domestic for the 56th drive (May 2022 pass-outs). The December 2025 to January 2026 drive had a highest domestic offer of Rs 32.33 lakh, and the April to May 2026 drive an average of Rs 13.30 lakh and a highest of Rs 27.50 lakh. The full table, with sources, is on the main CA salary page. For a first-job decision, the practical reading is that ICAI’s averages have been steady while any single top offer is luck, so plan around the average and the survey floor, not the top.
How do you register for ICAI’s campus placement?
You register on the ICAI Campus Placement Portal during a window announced for each drive. For the 65th programme (May-exam pass-outs, August to September 2026) the Placement Directorate gave the registration window as 22 June to 2 July 2026, and the steps were (ICAI Placement Directorate guidelines):
- Create a login using your ICAI email address.
- Verify your candidate profile.
- Update your personal, educational and articleship details.
- Upload your resume, photograph and ICAI Certificate of Completion, if applicable.
- Pay the registration fee of Rs 1,500, including GST.
After registration, ICAI’s prospectus says the programme is system-driven through shortlisting, consenting, virtual interviews, offers and acceptance. The next window will have its own dates, so check the Placement Directorate before the results of your Final are out, and keep your articleship records ready. Questions go to icai.placement@icai.in, the address the Directorate lists.
What do you earn before the first job?
During articleship ICAI sets only minimum stipends. The rule now in force gives Rs 2,000 to Rs 6,000 a month by city size and year (ICAI Prospectus 2026). For the two-year articleship ICAI recommends Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000, but that was published only as a draft regulation on 25 June 2026 and we found no final notification on 20 October 2026. Industrial trainees get at least Rs 15,000 a month for the 9 to 12 months of industrial training. A self-reported survey of 11.8k article assistants shows Rs 2.3 to 2.6 lakh a year, which is above those minimums. The city-wise table and the sources are on the main CA salary page.
Will your rank or number of attempts change your first salary?
Possibly, but no ICAI statistic says by how much. ICAI holds a subsidised 10-day Management Development Programme for rank holders after the Final results and publishes no pay figures by rank or attempt. Pages that quote Rs 15 to 25 lakh for rank holders or Rs 5 to 8 lakh for multiple attempts give no source, so we have left them out. What ICAI does say is that 50% to 70% of registered candidates got campus offers in earlier drives and the rest were absorbed off campus within months.
How many freshers does the campus drive cover?
Fewer than all of them. ICAI’s May 2026 Final results show 3,345 candidates passing both groups in one sitting, out of 23,776 who appeared for both (ICAI result release). Others complete Final by clearing one group at a time over several sittings. ICAI does not publish how many newly qualified CAs registered for placement, so we cannot compute a share, and we will not divide 2,570 offers by a pass count from a different sitting.
What is the monthly in-hand salary of a CA fresher?
Divide the annual CTC by twelve for a rough monthly figure, but that is not your take-home pay. The table shows that arithmetic, before tax and deductions.
| Annual CTC (lakh rupees) | Divided by twelve | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 13.30 (campus average) | About Rs 1.11 lakh a month | ICAI, 64th drive |
| 9 (campus minimum, earlier drives) | Rs 75,000 a month | ICAI Prospectus 2026 |
| 8.4 to 9.3 (survey, 0 to 1 year) | Rs 70,000 to Rs 77,500 a month | AmbitionBox |
CTC usually includes employer provident fund contributions, insurance and variable pay that never reach your bank account in the month. Income tax then comes off the rest. Do not compare offers by CTC alone. Ask each recruiter for the fixed, variable and benefits split, and any joining terms such as a service agreement, then check the tax position on the Income Tax Department’s website or with a tax professional. We give no tax advice here.
How much does a CA’s pay change in the first year?
In the survey, very little: the range moves from Rs 8.4 to 9.3 lakh at 0 to 1 year to Rs 8.8 to 9.7 lakh at 1 to 3 years, an increase of about Rs 0.4 lakh at both ends. We found no published data on first-year appraisals, bonuses or promotions for freshers, so we will not quote any. The main CA salary page covers where pay goes after the first few years.
How does ICAI’s campus placement work for a newly qualified CA?
ICAI’s Prospectus 2026 says it has run the campus programme for newly qualified CAs since 1995, that all interviews are held virtually, and that recruiters register at 9 big and 18 small centres, with candidates allowed to register at one big and one small centre. It lists more than 100 recruiters, among them multinationals, banks, financial institutions, public and private companies and CA firms (ICAI Prospectus 2026).
Two other tracks matter for a first job. A similar programme has run since 2022 exclusively for women members who want flexi-hours, part-time or work-from-home roles, and members who do not take a certificate of practice can join ICAI’s annual Virtual Career Ascent programme, held each June, after a year of membership. The Prospectus gives no pay figures for either. If you have not yet qualified, the CA course guide explains the route, and what to do if you do not clear CA covers the other branch.
How does a CA fresher’s pay compare with other qualifications?
Qualifications are measured differently, so be careful. ICMAI’s placement brochure prints an average of Rs 12 to 14 lakh beneath charts headed campus placement programmes 2018 to 2025 (no period of its own). Company secretaries show Rs 5.5 to 6.1 lakh at 1 to 3 years in the same survey that gives CAs Rs 8.8 to 9.7 lakh. See CMA salary in India, company secretary salary and accountant salary in India. For the full choice, read CA vs CS vs CMA vs ACCA.
Sources and method
- ICAI Placement Directorate, 65th campus programme page with 64th drive highlights, ipd.icai.org, read 20 October 2026.
- ICAI Career Counselling Committee, campus placement page, ccg.icai.org/placement, read 20 October 2026.
- ICAI Prospectus 2026 (February 2026, reprint June 2026), placement services, practical training and stipend sections, read 20 October 2026.
- AmbitionBox, Chartered Accountant salaries in India, read 20 October 2026 (self-reported).
- ICAI press release on the CA Final results, May 2026 (18 June 2026), read 20 October 2026.
- ICAI Placement Directorate, 65th Campus Placement Programme candidate guidelines (registration steps and fee), ipd.icai.org, read 20 October 2026.
Method: we quote each source’s own figure with its date and sample size, do not average sources, and leave a band blank where no reliable data exists. The CA figures are the same as those on our main CA salary page. Claims we dropped because we could not trace them to ICAI or a named dataset: a “Rs 3 to 5 lakh” fresher rumour and a Rs 36 lakh peak. We also dropped “Rs 7 to 10 lakh typical” and “Rs 9 to 14 lakh at Big 4” fresher ranges from blogs, and an “ICAI Secretary confirmed Rs 12 to 13 lakh” quote. Also left out on 20 October 2026: Rs 15 to 25 lakh for rank holders and Rs 5 to 8 lakh for multiple attempts, which no ICAI document gives. We will update this page when ICAI publishes the 65th drive results.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a newly qualified CA earn in the first job?
ICAI’s campus average was Rs 13.30 lakh a year in April to May 2026, and a self-reported survey shows Rs 8.4 to 9.3 lakh for CAs with up to a year of experience. The difference is explained above.
What is the minimum salary for a newly qualified CA?
ICAI’s Prospectus gives a minimum CTC of Rs 9 lakh at most centres and Rs 7.2 lakh at a few smaller ones in earlier campus drives. It is not dated to 2026, and it applies only to campus placement.
What is the in-hand salary of a CA fresher per month?
Divide the annual CTC by twelve. Rs 13.30 lakh is about Rs 1.11 lakh and Rs 8.4 to 9.3 lakh is about Rs 70,000 to Rs 77,500 a month, before tax and deductions, so take-home is lower.
How much does a Big 4 firm pay a CA fresher?
We found no reliable first-year figure. AmbitionBox’s rows for PwC, EY, Deloitte and KPMG India rest on 56 to 89 salaries each and cover all experience levels, below the 100-salary minimum we apply, so we do not quote them.
What is the highest salary offered to a CA fresher?
ICAI reports Rs 27.50 lakh in its April to May 2026 drive and Rs 32.33 lakh for December 2025 to January 2026. These are single top offers, not typical outcomes.
When do ICAI campus placements happen?
ICAI says campus placements are held twice a year. The 65th programme for May-exam passers was scheduled for August to September 2026. Check the ICAI Placement Directorate for the next dates.
How do I register for ICAI campus placement?
Register on the ICAI Campus Placement Portal with your ICAI email, complete your profile and articleship details, upload your resume, photograph and Certificate of Completion if applicable, and pay Rs 1,500 including GST. The 65th programme’s window was 22 June to 2 July 2026.
Do CA students get paid during articleship?
Yes. ICAI’s minimum stipend is Rs 2,000 to Rs 6,000 a month under the rule now in force, with Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 proposed for the two-year articleship (still a draft on 20 October 2026). Industrial trainees get at least Rs 15,000 a month. Many firms pay more, and a survey of article assistants shows Rs 2.3 to 2.6 lakh a year.
Is Rs 6 to 8 lakh the real CA fresher salary?
That figure appears on many coaching pages without a source. ICAI’s own campus average is Rs 13.30 lakh and a survey of CAs with up to a year of experience shows Rs 8.4 to 9.3 lakh, so Rs 6 to 8 lakh is below both.
Does a CA rank holder get a higher first salary?
ICAI publishes no pay data by rank. It holds a Management Development Programme for rank holders, which is a training programme.
What if I do not get a campus offer?
ICAI’s Prospectus says candidates who did not receive offers were absorbed off campus within months, but it publishes no pay data for them. The survey range of Rs 8.4 to 9.3 lakh is the best public guide.
Still deciding?
A first-salary figure is a poor reason on its own to commit years to CA. If you want to talk through whether it fits you, or compare it with other routes, see career counselling, or call 9212008787 or message us on WhatsApp. For the whole CA salary picture, read chartered accountant salary in India.
