International Women's Day: Small-Town Women in India See 34% Salary Increase Over Three Years, 1 Million Applications in Male-Dominated Fields

New Delhi- Women from Tier-II and Tier-III cities in India have experienced a significant 34 percent increase in median salary over the past three years, according to a new report released by job and professional networking platform Apna.co.

The report reveals that the number of women job seekers from smaller cities has quadrupled between 2021 and 2024. Job applications from these regions have also seen remarkable growth, tripling to reach 12.8 million in 2024. This trend indicates a substantial shift in employment patterns beyond India's major metropolitan areas.

Several factors have contributed to this growth, including increased job opportunities, improved digital accessibility, and evolving hiring strategies by employers. These developments have empowered more women from non-metro areas to explore diverse career paths and actively participate in the workforce.

Sales, business development, administrative roles, and customer support have emerged as the most popular job sectors for women in smaller cities, accounting for 55 percent of total job applications. Many women are also pursuing careers in marketing, banking, retail, human resources, hospitality, teaching, and healthcare.

Notably, women are increasingly entering traditionally male-dominated fields, with nearly 600,000 applications in field sales, 250,000 in delivery and logistics, and 150,000 in security services in 2024.

Cities such as Lucknow, Jaipur, Indore, Bhopal, Surat, Nagpur, and Coimbatore have become major employment hubs for women, contributing to 45 percent of total job applications. Other cities including Kanpur, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Chandigarh, Patna, Ludhiana, Vadodara, and Guwahati are also emerging as important employment centers.

The report highlights a significant increase in fresh graduate participation, with the number of freshers among women job seekers in Tier-II and III cities rising 2.5 times to reach nearly 900,000 in 2024. This suggests that more young women are seeking employment immediately after completing their education, a process facilitated by digital job platforms that have made finding work opportunities more accessible.