MBA still pays more than an engineering degree in 2026 placements
MBA roles now offer substantially higher pay than engineering positions. This salary premium is projected to increase further in upcoming placement cycles. Companies increasingly value professionals who bridge technology and business understandi...
MBA roles fetched 52% more salary than that of engg in campus recruitment for the class of 2026
New Delhi: An MBA is proving to be worth much more than just another degree on the campus placement circuit, with management roles commanding a sharply higher pay premium over engineering jobs. Average salaries for MBA roles were 52% higher than those for engineering roles for the class of 2026, according to Deloitte India's Campus Workforce Trends 2026 report. The premium is set to widen further: MBA roles for students appearing for placements in 2026, or the class of 2027, are projected to pay 59% more than engineering roles.
The average salary for MBA roles for the class of 2025 was 47% higher than that for engineering roles. The findings point to a decisive shift in what campus recruiters are willing to pay for, with all 250 organisations surveyed by Deloitte placing greater value on talent that can bridge technology and business.
"This year, according to our report, all 250 firms (recruiters) are placing greater value on management-oriented roles/leadership-oriented talent relative to only technical roles," said Neelesh Gupta, partner at Deloitte.
The shift is being driven by demand for professionals who can combine digital and analytical fluency with commercial judgement and strategic decision-making, Gupta said. "The recruiters are emphasising on professionals who can translate technology into business outcomes," he said.
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Deloitte's survey covers the top 505 campuses based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework. Beyond the top 10 institutes in categories such as MBA, BTech, BBA and BCom, Deloitte classifies the next 40 as tier-1 colleges in each category. Tier-1 engineering colleges include NIRF-ranked institutes 11 to 40, such as BITS Pilani, IIT Indore, NIT Rourkela, IIT Dhanbad, Jadavpur and NIT Calicut, along with other IITs and NITs. Tier-1 MBA colleges include newer IIMs such as Raipur, Trichy, Kashipur and Nagpur; the management schools of IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and IIT Kharagpur; and private institutes such as SP Jain and IMI Delhi.
The campus survey is based on annual placement cycles. For the 2026-27 placement cycle, for instance, Deloitte has surveyed projections from ongoing placements for the class of 2027, which graduates next year. Premium management schools continue to dominate compensation. Pay packets at top 10 B-schools averaged ₹27.4 lakh a year, more than 3.3 times the ₹8.4 lakh average at tier-3 B-schools, Gupta said.
The report found that employers are increasing campus hiring budgets, embedding AI deeper into recruitment and strengthening internship-to-hire programmes as they compete for talent with essential digital and analytical skills.
