Pay scales do not tilt Indian exec's way

Senior executives in corporate India, especially those in the finance and marketing sectors, are paid the lowest compared to their counterparts elsewhere in the world.

According to a survey by HR consultancy firm Mercer, senior executives in the US earn the highest salaries and annual total cash globally.

In comparison, Indian finance directors get as less as $53,800 annually, while US-based finance directors get $250,000 and those in the UK get $180,300.

The study, which compares pay scales for finance, marketing and HR directors in 14 countries worldwide, has found that while finance and marketing directors in the US earn more than five times their Indian counterparts, HR directors earn over three times as much.

"Salaries and annual total cash are generally higher in the US because there is a greater competition for talent and employers must pay more for top employees," said Steve Gross, Global Leader (Broad-based rewards), Mercer.

The annual total cash paid to finance directors in the US, which includes guaranteed cash and incentives, is also the highest at $324,600 on an average while Canada-based directors get $262,700 and those in the UK get $236,600. Indian executives are paid $ 63,806 annually as total cash.

The study says the base pay for marketing directors ranges between $203,100 in the US and $40,000 in India.

While HR directors are the lowest paid, the best paid HR directors are found in the US, the UK and Germany, where they can earn $175,000, $161,900 and $160,500 respectively.