A fresher in a Pakistani software house usually earns somewhere between Rs 35,000 and Rs 80,000 a month. Indeed’s average for junior software engineers is Rs 50,873 a month. Most junior roles are day shifts, five days a week.
Below is what freshers are actually paid, the usual office timings, how probation and bonds work, which benefits to ask about, and what the job market for new graduates looks like in 2026.
Figures come from Indeed Pakistan’s salary data and from a sample of 25 junior and internship job ads published in 2025 and 2026. Most Pakistani job ads do not show a salary, so treat these as ranges.
Fresher salary in a software house
| Source | Monthly pay | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Indeed Pakistan, junior software engineer | Rs 50,873 average, typically Rs 34,508 to Rs 74,998 | 33 reported salaries, updated 23 September 2026 |
| Junior developer job ads that state pay | About Rs 40,000 to Rs 80,000 | Ads in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, 2025 and 2026 |
| Paid internships | About Rs 15,000 to Rs 50,000 | Internship ads, 2025 and 2026. Many internships are unpaid or fee based. |
| SkillBridge apprenticeship | Rs 30,000 | Government programme with PSEB-registered companies, six months, for recent graduates |
On Indeed’s data, Islamabad (Rs 57,936) and Lahore (Rs 54,658) pay junior software engineers above the national average. Pay rises with experience. For pay at every level, see software engineer salary in Pakistan, and before you accept an offer, read salary negotiation for developers.
Software house timing in Pakistan
Most junior and internship roles are day shifts from Monday to Friday. In the 25 job ads we reviewed, 2 were night shifts. The explicit timings we saw were 9 am to 6 pm, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, and 11 am to 8 pm. One company also asked for remote work on Saturdays.
Night shifts, often called US shifts, exist mainly at companies that work live with clients in North America. The one we saw ran from 8 pm to 5 am, Monday to Friday. They may pay more, but they are hard to sustain, so ask about the shift before the interview ends rather than after the offer.
| Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What are the office hours? | Start times range from 9 am to 11 am, which changes your commute and evenings. |
| Is Saturday a working day? | Some companies use Saturday for remote work or deadlines. |
| Will I ever work a US shift? | Some teams move juniors onto client hours once a project starts. |
| Is there a hybrid option? | None of the junior ads we reviewed offered one, so ask directly. |
Probation and bonds
Many offer letters include a probation period. Under Pakistan’s Standing Orders Ordinance of 1968 and the similar provincial laws, probation is generally capped at three months. Check what changes when you are confirmed, such as the notice period and when benefits start.
None of the ads we reviewed mentioned a training bond. If an offer asks you to sign one, for example a promise to stay for a set period or repay training costs, read it carefully before signing and ask someone you trust to review it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Benefits you may be offered
Most junior ads only promise growth and mentorship. When companies did list concrete benefits, these were the ones we saw:
- Medical cover, sometimes including outpatient care and parents.
- Provident fund and EOBI registration.
- Performance bonus.
- Conveyance or fuel allowance, and sometimes meals.
Ask for every benefit to be written into the offer letter, along with the probation length and the date your first salary review is due.
The job market for freshers in 2026
Competition is real. HEC says Pakistan produces over 75,000 IT graduates a year. P@SHA, the software industry association, has reported that entry-level hiring at major technology companies has fallen by around 25 percent since 2024.
That does not mean there are no jobs. It means a degree alone is not enough. The freshers who get offers usually have one or two projects that real people use, some supervised work experience, and can explain their own code in an interview.
How to get a software house job as a fresher
- Build proof. A deployed project and a clean GitHub matter more than certificates. See the developer portfolio that gets replies.
- Fix your CV. One page, projects first. See a software engineer CV that gets shortlisted.
- Prepare for the interview. Practise with technical interview questions for freshers.
- Get supervised experience. An internship is the most common route into a first job. See how to get an internship in a software house. Ezitech’s three-month internship runs onsite in Rawalpindi or remote, with a mentor and a live project.
- Make the first months count. Read your first 90 days in a software job and how to turn an internship into a full-time offer.
Software house jobs for freshers: questions
What is the salary of a fresher in a software house in Pakistan?
Usually about Rs 35,000 to Rs 80,000 a month. Indeed’s average for junior software engineers is Rs 50,873 a month, based on 33 salaries updated in September 2026, and junior job ads that state pay mostly offer Rs 40,000 to Rs 80,000.
What are software house timings in Pakistan?
Most junior roles are day shifts from Monday to Friday, with start times between 9 am and 11 am. Night or US shifts exist at companies that work live with North American clients.
Is there a probation period in software houses?
Many offer letters include one. Under the Standing Orders Ordinance of 1968 and similar provincial laws, probation is generally capped at three months. Check the length in your offer letter.
Do software houses in Pakistan have night shifts?
Some do, mainly companies serving US clients. In our sample of 25 junior and internship ads from 2025 and 2026, 2 were night shifts, so they are the exception for freshers.
How can a fresher get a job in a software house?
Build one or two deployed projects, keep a one-page CV that leads with them, practise technical interview questions, and get supervised experience through an internship. Internships are the most common route into a first software house job.
Sources
Indeed Pakistan, junior software engineer salaries (33 salaries, updated 23 September 2026). SkillBridge apprenticeship, ProPakistani, 28 January 2026. HEC, 18 September 2025. ProPakistani on P@SHA entry-level hiring, 7 August 2026. WageIndicator, contracts and probation in Pakistan. Ad ranges and timings from 25 junior and internship ads on Rozee.pk, Mustakbil and Indeed, July 2025 to October 2026. All checked 5 October 2026.