A pharmacist's account of a hospital job interview has gone viral on Instagram, reigniting discussions about low starting salaries in India's healthcare sector. The creator claimed she was offered Rs 12,000–14,000 per month for a pharmacist role, despite learning that a hospital cleaner was earning Rs 16,000.The video has attracted nearly 9 lakh views on Instagram, with many healthcare professionals sharing similar experiences, while others argued that comparing salaries across different roles does not present the full picture.Viral Instagram video starts conversation on entry-level salariesThe video was shared by an Instagram user named Asha, who said she had visited a hospital to enquire about a pharmacist vacancy. Before meeting the human resources (HR) team, she struck up a conversation with a woman cleaning the hospital premises.Recalling the incident, Asha said: "Yesterday I went to one hospital regarding a pharmacist vacancy. Before going there, I met one lady who was mopping and cleaning the floor."Curious about the job, she asked the cleaner about her monthly salary.According to Asha, the woman replied that she earned Rs 16,000 per month.'I expected at least Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000'After hearing the cleaner's salary, Asha said she assumed the pharmacist position would offer a higher salary."So I expected that if the cleaner earns Rs 16,000, the pharmacist would at least be paid Rs 18,000 to Rs 20,000," she said.However, the interview did not go as she had anticipated.HR reportedly offered Rs 12,000–14,000According to Asha, the HR representative first asked whether she had previous experience working as a pharmacist.She replied that although she was a fresher in pharmacy, she had four years of experience in the healthcare sector.Asha said the HR then explained that the hospital generally did not recruit freshers. However, if they did, the starting salary would range between Rs 12,000 and Rs 14,000, depending on performance.According to Asha, the HR told her: "Actually, we don't take freshers. But yes, if we take freshers, our basic salary will be Rs 12,000 to Rs 14,000."She said she laughed after hearing the salary offer and left the interview.Social media users divided over salary comparisonThe video quickly gained traction, prompting mixed reactions from social media users.While many sympathised with Asha and criticised the low salary reportedly offered to qualified healthcare professionals, others said comparing the cleaner's earnings with a pharmacist's starting salary was unfair.One Instagram user commented: "She may be mopping for 10 or 20 years. Don't compare yourself with her. She may have started somewhere between Rs 4,000 and Rs 6,000."Pharmacist clarifies her intentionResponding to the criticism, Asha said her intention was not to compare professions, but to highlight the challenges faced by fresh graduates entering healthcare.She wrote: "You're right, and I have full respect for her hard work. My intention wasn't to compare professions – it was to highlight the low starting salary for qualified healthcare professionals."Healthcare workers share similar experiencesThe discussion soon expanded, with several healthcare professionals revealing the salaries they received when starting their careers.One user wrote: "My first salary was Rs 7.5k. I'm a doctor."Another commented: "Dentist whose starting salary is Rs 10k laughing in the corner."A third user claimed: "Many places and big hospitals expect you to work for 10–12 hours straight and offer Rs 12–15k. After deductions you don't get more than Rs 10k a month."The comments highlighted wider concerns among some healthcare workers about entry-level pay, long working hours and career progression.Disclaimer: This article is based on a user-generated post shared on social media. ET.com has not independently verified the claims made in the post and does not vouch for their accuracy. The views expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET.com. Reader discretion is advised.