A conversation about salary expectations in India has gained attention online after a woman questioned whether earning ₹1 lakh a month should really be considered an “average” income.
In an Instagram video shared through the account @paisokiseekh, she argued that social media can distort people’s perception of what constitutes a normal salary because users are repeatedly exposed to high-earning professionals and exceptional career stories.
She specifically pointed to the way annual packages such as ₹12 lakh, ₹20 lakh and ₹30 lakh are discussed online, saying that salaries that may be considered strong achievements in the real world are sometimes treated as ordinary on social platforms.
‘₹1 Lakh Is Not the New Normal’
The creator’s central argument was that ₹1 lakh per month should not automatically be viewed as the new normal.
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Add Hunterfly on GoogleShe suggested that social media creates an unusual reference point because people tend to share exceptional achievements more readily than ordinary financial circumstances.
In her view, repeatedly seeing high salaries can gradually make those incomes appear commonplace, even when the online sample does not represent the wider working population.
She urged viewers to think carefully before using social-media salaries as a benchmark for their own careers.
How Social Media Changes Salary Comparisons
The discussion began with a series of examples about annual salary packages.
The creator highlighted how a ₹12 lakh-per-year package may be dismissed online as a fresher salary, while ₹20 lakh can be described as merely “decent” and ₹30 lakh can generate jokes about seeking a referral.
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Add Hunterfly on GoogleShe then referred to people posting about earning ₹2 lakh a month at a young age, questioning why such an income would be described as “only” ₹2 lakh.
Her point was that constant exposure to exceptional salaries can shift the way people mentally categorise income.
‘Social Media Will Never Show You an Average Person’
The creator argued that online platforms naturally amplify unusual or attention-grabbing stories.
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Add Hunterfly on GoogleAccording to her, people earning particularly high salaries may be more inclined to discuss their careers publicly, while millions of people with ordinary incomes have little reason to turn their monthly pay into social-media content.
That can create a selection effect in the kind of financial stories audiences encounter online.
As a result, comparing one’s own salary with highly visible social-media examples may produce a misleading impression of what is typical.
The Video Asked: ‘Is ₹1 Lakh Per Month the New Normal?’
The Instagram post was framed around a simple question:
“Is 1 lakh per month the new normal?”
The question resonated with viewers who have also noticed the changing tone of online salary discussions.
Some commenters said social media has made unusually high incomes appear much more common than they may be in everyday life.
Others agreed that online career content can create unrealistic expectations about what a person should earn at a particular age or stage of their career.
Viewers Say Social Media Has Distorted Salary Expectations
Several users echoed the creator’s argument in the comments.
One commenter said that social media has “completely distorted salary expectations.” Another wrote that people on social platforms do not necessarily represent reality.
A third viewer observed that exceptional salaries can begin to look normal when they are repeatedly displayed online.
Another simply described the discussion as accurate.
These comments reflect the experiences and opinions of individual users rather than independently measured evidence about salary distribution in India.
Another Viewer Argued That Even ₹3 Lakh May Not Feel Like Enough
The discussion was not entirely one-sided.
One commenter took a different view, arguing that substantially higher salaries can also be consumed by taxes and everyday expenses.
The person cited taxes, bills, EMIs, education, healthcare, fitness and travel as examples of costs that can significantly reduce disposable income, and argued that even a salary of ₹3 lakh a month might not necessarily translate into substantial savings for some households.
The comment reflects an important distinction in discussions about income: salary and financial security are not the same thing.
Someone earning a high gross income can still have significant financial commitments, while another person with a lower income and fewer obligations may have a different experience of disposable money.
Why ‘Average Salary’ Can Be a Complicated Term
Calling a particular salary “average” can also be misleading without specifying the population being discussed.
Income can vary considerably depending on city, industry, occupation, experience, education, seniority and employment type. Household size and living costs can also influence how far a particular income goes.
A salary that appears high in one context may be less exceptional in another.
This is why social-media comparisons can be particularly difficult to interpret when they do not provide information about the broader population or the methodology behind the comparison.
Online Salary Posts May Not Reflect the Wider Workforce
Social media is not a statistical survey of the Indian labour market.
People who post about compensation may represent a particular segment of professionals, industries or cities. High-income careers can also attract more engagement, which may encourage further sharing of similar posts.
That does not mean the salaries being posted are necessarily false. It simply means they should not automatically be treated as representative of everyone.
The creator’s broader message was therefore about perspective, rather than suggesting that high salaries do not exist.
The Comparison Trap
Salary discussions can easily turn into comparisons about age, career progress and professional success.
A person may see someone claiming to earn ₹2 lakh a month at 22 and conclude that their own salary is inadequate, even though the two people may work in different industries, live in different cities or have completely different career circumstances.
Comparing compensation without context can therefore obscure other measures of financial progress, including savings, debt, expenses, job stability and long-term career development.
A Bigger Conversation About Money on Social Media
The viral discussion highlights how financial content has become a major part of online culture.
Salary reveals, tax discussions, career advice and lifestyle posts can provide useful information, but they can also create distorted reference points when exceptional examples receive disproportionate attention.
The challenge for viewers is to distinguish between what is visible online and what is statistically typical.
The Takeaway
The Instagram discussion has prompted viewers to reconsider whether ₹1 lakh a month should be described as an ordinary salary in India.
The creator behind @paisokiseekh argues that social media can make exceptional incomes appear routine because high earners are disproportionately visible online. Commenters largely echoed that concern, although another viewer argued that even substantially higher earnings can be quickly absorbed by taxes and everyday expenses.
Ultimately, a salary figure means different things depending on the person’s location, profession, financial commitments and household circumstances. Social-media income posts can offer a glimpse into some careers, but they should not automatically be treated as a universal benchmark.
