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Headcount and Salaries by Department

Updated 22 October 2026

A company has five departments. The first table gives the number of employees in each department in 2024 and 2025; the second gives the average monthly salary per employee in each department.

Number of employees
Department20242025
Sales120135
Operations200190
Finance5055
HR3030
Technology100140
Average monthly salary per employee
Department20242025
Sales6064
Operations4548
Finance8084
HR5560
Technology9092

Salaries are in ₹ thousand. A department's monthly salary bill = number of employees × average monthly salary. 1 lakh = 100 thousand.

Question 1 · Type in the answer (+3 / 0)

What was the company's total monthly salary bill in 2025, in ₹ lakh? Give your answer correct to one decimal place.

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Answer: 370.6

  1. 2025 bills in ₹ thousand: Sales 135 × 64 = 8640; Operations 190 × 48 = 9120; Finance 55 × 84 = 4620; HR 30 × 60 = 1800; Technology 140 × 92 = 12880.
  2. Total = 8640 + 9120 + 4620 + 1800 + 12880 = 37060 thousand.
  3. 37060 thousand = 370.6 lakh.
Question 2 · Multiple choice (+3 / −1)

Which department's monthly salary bill rose by the highest percentage from 2024 to 2025?

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Answer: D. Technology

  1. Sales: 7200 to 8640, a rise of 20%.
  2. Finance: 4000 to 4620, a rise of 15.5%.
  3. HR: 1650 to 1800, a rise of about 9.1%.
  4. Technology: 9000 to 12880, a rise of about 43.1%.
  5. Technology leads. HR had the largest rise in average salary (about 9.1%), but its headcount did not change.
Question 3 · Type in the answer (+3 / 0)

What was the average monthly salary per employee across the whole company in 2025, in ₹ thousand? Give your answer correct to one decimal place.

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Answer: 67.4

  1. Total 2025 salary bill = 37060 thousand.
  2. Total 2025 headcount = 135 + 190 + 55 + 30 + 140 = 550.
  3. Average = 37060 / 550 ≈ 67.38, which is 67.4 to one decimal place.
  4. The simple mean of the five department averages, 69.6, is wrong because it ignores department sizes.
Question 4 · Multiple choice (+3 / −1)

Technology's share of the company's total monthly salary bill in 2025 was closest to which of the following?

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Answer: C. 35%

  1. Technology's 2025 bill = 140 × 92 = 12880 thousand.
  2. Share = 12880 / 37060 ≈ 34.8%, closest to 35%.
  3. 25% is Technology's share of headcount (140 / 550 ≈ 25.5%), not of the salary bill.
Question 5 · Multiple choice (+3 / −1)

In how many departments did the monthly salary bill rise by more than 10% from 2024 to 2025?

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Answer: B. 3

  1. Rises: Sales 20%, Operations about 1.3% (9000 to 9120), Finance 15.5%, HR about 9.1%, Technology about 43.1%.
  2. Sales, Finance and Technology are above 10%; HR falls just short.
  3. The answer is 3.

Full worked solution

  1. Multiply headcount by average salary to get each department's monthly bill in ₹ thousand. 2024: Sales 7200, Operations 9000, Finance 4000, HR 1650, Technology 9000, total 30850. 2025: Sales 8640, Operations 9120, Finance 4620, HR 1800, Technology 12880, total 37060.
  2. Totals in ₹ lakh: 308.5 in 2024 and 370.6 in 2025, a rise of about 20.1%. Headcount rose from 500 to 550.
  3. Percentage rise in each bill: Sales 20%, Operations about 1.3%, Finance 15.5%, HR about 9.1%, Technology about 43.1%.
  4. Company-wide average salary = total bill ÷ total headcount: 30850 / 500 = 61.7 in 2024 and 37060 / 550 ≈ 67.4 in 2025 (₹ thousand).