It depends on the organization you are joining in.
Usually product based organizations, like Symantec, Quick Heal, EMC, eQ offer a good package to freshers. It ranges from 6-9 LPA, depending upon your performance in the interview, your scores in exams and your college. Obviously number of interview rounds is more, and gets tough as you progress.
Service based organizations, like Persistent, TCS, TechM, Wipro, Infosys offer a little lower packages ranging from 3.5-5 LPA. They usually conduct 2 technical and a HR round.
If you are joining a start up, the salary will totally depend on the phase of the startup.
Phase 1:
If the start up is recently formed, which is yet to stabilize their product and establish good contacts in the market, then they usually offer low salaries ranging from 1.5 LPA to 3.5 LPA.
Number of employees is usually 5 to 25. Most of them are founders and co-founders. They have tremendous work, and they need resources who will help to take the organization to the next phase. If this goes well, and startup succeeds, in couple of years, I’ve seen salaries of employees jumping by 200% to 400%.
However, if the idea or the product fails, then employee may have to search for other job. This risk is always there at this phase. There is hardly any education criteria for such organization. You appear for the interview, if you pass it, then you get the job.
Phase 2:
In this phase, their product is stable and they have acquired at least three-four paying customers. Such start ups are considered stable, and their progress goes well. Number of employees ranges from 50 to 100.
Such start ups offer very good packages ranging from 6 LPA – 12 LPA depending on your university/college, your scores, and the interview.
There is low risk involved, salary hikes are usually around 20-30%.
Phase 3:
I won’t call these organizations as start up. They are now well established software organizations trying to acquire more and more customers. Number of employees ranges from 100-300.
Such organizations offer a regular packages ranging from 3.5 LPA – 6 LPA depending on your university/college and the scores, and the interview. Salary hikes are around 15-25%.
I personally don’t think OCJP certification will give you ‘extra’ package than other candidates. Everyone is aware of the quality and difficulty level of OCJP exams. It is pretty easy to score 80%. So it hardly has any impacts on your salary.
However, your chances of getting selected in interview increase if you have this certification.