A Bengaluru-based tech professional has shared his remarkable career journey, proving that a formal bachelor's degree isn't the only route to financial success in tech. Starting in 2013 with only a 3-year diploma in computer science and a meagre monthly salary of ₹5,000, the techie steadily climbed the corporate ladder to bag a lucrative role paying ₹45 LPA. Despite success and a current net worth of ₹70 lakh, the techie claims to be battling deep professional regrets and imposter syndrome about the lack of a traditional degree.The Reddit user’s post has piqued people’s interest. (Pexels)The individual passed Class 12 in commerce and then pursued a 3-year Diploma in CS in 2013. At the first job the same year, the individual started with a salary of ₹5,000.Also Read: Can ₹2.2 crore in FDs, equity back a career break? Techie seeks advice amid job burnoutOver the years, the individual changed jobs, leading to an increase in salary. In 2021, for the first time, the salary crossed a lakh after a “big career jump”. Soon, the techie started earning over ₹1.8 lakh monthly.However, in 2025, the person was laid off. At this point, they had ₹11 lakh in savings and also the money received from the severance package. The techie soon landed a ₹45 LPA job towards the end of 2025, which paid a monthly salary of ₹2.7 lakh.The individual continued, “I'm currently content with my salary but I feel like I should have worked hard and got into good salary jobs earlier in my career rather than sticking to small scale web dev companies with small salary - but back then it was huge for me too. What was holding me back was the lack of Bachelor Degree, I though I could only get so much with Diploma.”The person added, “I still feel regrets of not taking Bachelors degree and in only in this Jan I enrolled to IGNOU BCA just for the sake of having a Bachelors Degree. Looking back, I feel proud of myself for getting to where I am but also feel like there are people doing better than me and getting paid way higher than me for the same experience (It's a human think ig, constant comparison).”The techie further added that, at present, they have a net worth of ₹70 lakh,, which includes MF, PF, and FD.How did social media react?Seeing how a diploma holder successfully scaled the tech industry, several aspiring and current developers reached out to compare notes and ask for advice.An individual wrote, “I am a UX designer with a degree in commerce from Tier 3, now thinking of taking a bachelor's degree. What do you suggest?” The individual added, “Currently making 15 with 3.5 YOE.”Also Read: Techie from ‘Tier-3 college’ now earns in dollars, spends in rupees: 'I make over ₹5 lakh in-hand every month’Another posted, “Are you doing a remote job currently? What kind of company is it, and how did you come across this job?”(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Hindustantimes.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)