AI and ML Engineer Salary: Complete Guide for 2026

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning jobs are among the most lucrative in technology, driven by the rapid expansion of global tech giants and startups in India. Demand spans sectors like banking, healthcare, e-commerce, and manufacturing, with AI adoption expected to transform 38 million jobs by 2030 and boost productivity by 2.61%. Cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune host major AI research centers, creating strong career opportunities.

This guide covers ai ml engineer salary in India at all levels, freshers, mid-level, and senior experts, with insights on top companies, location impact, and high-demand skills. AI engineers develop broad intelligent applications such as NLP and computer vision, while ML engineers specialize in predictive model development and deployment. Though roles overlap, AI/ML engineers focus on production-ready systems distinct from data scientists. Their skills impact revenue, efficiency, and innovation, commanding premium salaries across industries.

Who Are AI and ML Engineers?

AI and ML engineers build intelligent systems that learn from data and make decisions. AI engineers focus on broader applications such as natural language processing, computer vision, and autonomous systems, integrating AI models into production to deliver business value. ML engineers specialize in designing and deploying predictive models, working on the entire pipeline from data preprocessing to model monitoring.

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AI and ML Engineer Salary in India

The ai ml salary freshers to senior professionals varies significantly based on experience, skills, and company type. According to Glassdoor data, the average AI engineer salary in India stands at approximately 10 to 12 lakhs per annum across all experience levels.​

Salary by Experience

Entry-level professionals with 0 to 2 years of experience typically earn between 6 to 10 lakhs per annum. Fresh graduates from premier institutions like IITs or those with strong project portfolios can command salaries at the higher end of this range. The entry-level machine learning engineer salary per month ranges from approximately 35,000 to 65,000 rupees.​

Mid-level AI and ML engineers with 3 to 6 years of experience see substantial salary growth. These professionals earn between 12 to 20 lakhs per annum on average. Mid-level engineers who specialize in high-demand areas like natural language processing, computer vision, or MLOps can push their earnings toward the upper limit.​

Senior AI and ML engineers with 7 or more years of experience command significantly higher compensation. Salaries for senior professionals range from 25 to 50 lakhs per annum and can exceed this range at top companies. AI architects and principal engineers with over 10 years of experience can earn between 35 lakhs to 1 crore or more annually, especially at FAANG companies.​

Salary by Location

Bangalore

Bangalore, India's Silicon Valley, offers the highest AI and ML engineer salaries, ranging from ₹7 to ₹16 lakhs per annum for average professionals, with senior roles often earning significantly more. The city’s dense concentration of tech giants, startups, and research labs creates intense competition and attractive pay.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad ranks second, with average salaries between ₹7 and ₹16.10 lakhs per annum. The presence of Microsoft and Google research centers drives strong demand and competitive compensation.

Pune

Pune offers salaries between ₹5 to ₹10.40 lakhs per annum for AI and ML engineers, reflecting its status as an emerging tech hub with growing opportunities.

Delhi NCR

Delhi NCR compensates AI professionals with ₹6 to ₹20 lakhs per annum, varying widely by experience and company.

Mumbai and Chennai

Mumbai offers competitive salaries between ₹5 to ₹24 lakhs, influenced by its finance and tech sectors. Chennai provides AI engineer salaries around ₹5 to ₹11 lakhs per annum due to its robust IT ecosystem. Tier-2 cities typically pay 15 to 20% less than these metro cities but benefit from lower living costs, balancing overall compensation and lifestyle

Salary by Company Type

The type of company significantly influences ai ml engineer salary structures. Startups, multinational corporations, and product-based companies offer different compensation packages with varying risk-reward profiles.

• Startups, especially well-funded ones, often offer competitive base salaries ranging from 12 to 20 lakhs per annum along with equity stock options. While startups may present higher risk, they provide opportunities to work on cutting-edge technologies and gain rapid career growth. ​

• Multinational corporations like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon offer some of the highest salaries in India. According to Glassdoor data, Google pays AI engineers between 12 to 37 lakhs per annum, Microsoft offers 10 to 12 lakhs, and Amazon provides packages ranging from 8 to 80 lakhs per annum depending on role and experience.​

• Product-based companies typically pay 20 to 30% more than service-based IT firms. Indian IT giants like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro offer AI engineers salaries between 5 to 13 lakhs per annum on average, which is lower than global tech companies but still competitive for the Indian market.

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Global Salary Insights for AI and ML Engineers

Understanding global salary benchmarks helps Indian professionals evaluate international opportunities and negotiate better compensation packages. AI and ML engineer salaries vary significantly across countries due to differences in cost of living, demand-supply dynamics, and economic conditions.

The United States offers the highest compensation for AI and ML professionals globally. According to recent data, AI engineers in the USA earn an average of 110,000 to 160,000 US dollars per year, with senior professionals and those at top companies earning significantly more. Cities like San Francisco, Boston, and Seattle offer even higher salaries ranging from 120,000 to 160,000 dollars annually.​

The United Kingdom provides competitive salaries for AI engineers with average compensation around 55,000 to 95,000 pounds per year, which translates to approximately 72,000 US dollars. European countries offer varying compensation with Switzerland leading at 145,560 US dollars annually, while Germany and France offer around 60,000 to 62,400 dollars per year. ​ Singapore stands out in Asia as a high-paying market for AI professionals. AI engineers in Singapore earn an average of 114,852 to 136,400 US dollars annually. The United Arab Emirates also offers attractive packages for expatriate AI engineers.​

When compared to these global markets, India offers significantly lower absolute salaries but provides better purchasing power parity. An AI engineer earning 15 lakhs per annum in India, which equals approximately 18,000 to 20,000 US dollars, enjoys a comfortable lifestyle due to lower living costs.​

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Factors That Influence AI and ML Engineer Salaries

Multiple factors determine how much an AI or ML engineer earns. Understanding these variables helps professionals focus on areas that maximize their earning potential.

Core AI and ML Tools

Proficiency in core tools like Python is essential as it forms the foundation of AI development. Mastery can significantly boost your salary.

Deep Learning Frameworks

Knowledge of TensorFlow and PyTorch adds ₹3 to ₹6 lakhs annually to compensation, reflecting their demand in AI projects.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

Specialized NLP skills command salaries between ₹10 to ₹18 lakhs on average, with some experts earning up to ₹25.9 lakhs.

Computer Vision

Expertise in computer vision, used in autonomous vehicles and medical imaging, offers salaries ranging from ₹12 to ₹22 lakhs annually.

MLOps

MLOps skills to deploy and maintain AI systems at scale are highly valued, with salaries between ₹12 to ₹30 lakhs per year.

Cloud AI Platforms

Experience with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud can increase pay by ₹4 to ₹8 lakhs annually, reflecting demand for cloud deployment expertise.

Education and Certifications

Educational background influences starting salaries and career trajectory. Graduates from IITs or top-tier engineering colleges typically receive 25 to 30% higher initial offers compared to candidates from other institutions. Advanced degrees like M.Tech or MS in AI and Machine Learning can add significant premiums to compensation packages. ​ Industry-recognized certifications boost employability and earning potential. AWS Machine Learning Specialty, Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer, and Microsoft Azure AI Engineer certifications can add 10,000 to 20,000 rupees to monthly salaries. Structured programs from platforms like Scaler, Coursera, or IIT certification courses demonstrate commitment to continuous learning and attract better job offers.​

Industry and Domain

The industry sector significantly affects AI and ML compensation. Banking, financial services, and insurance sectors offer some of the highest salaries, with AI engineers earning 15 to 30 lakhs per annum due to applications in fraud detection, algorithmic trading, and risk management. ​ Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies pay premium salaries ranging from 15 to 25 lakhs per annum for AI professionals who can develop diagnostic tools, drug discovery systems, and personalized treatment platforms. E-commerce companies like Flipkart, Amazon, and Swiggy offer competitive packages between 18 to 30 lakhs for ML engineers working on recommendation systems and supply chain optimization.​

Emerging sectors like autonomous vehicles, biotech, and renewable energy offer opportunities for even higher compensation as these industries build AI-first business models.

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Role and Specialization

• Specific AI and ML roles command different salary ranges based on their responsibilities and required expertise. Generative AI engineers, a relatively new specialization, earn between 9.5 to 40 lakhs per annum depending on experience, with senior professionals at top firms earning beyond this range. ​
• AI research scientists who publish papers and advance the state of the art earn between 15 to 45 lakhs per annum. MLOps engineers, responsible for the operational aspects of machine learning systems, command salaries between 12 to 35 lakhs per annum. ​
• Natural language processing engineers average 21.4 to 25.9 lakhs per annum. Computer vision engineers earn between 10 to 22 lakhs per annum on average, with experienced professionals in specialized industries like gaming or semiconductor earning up to 45 lakhs.​

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Company Size and Type

Company size and maturity level affect compensation structures. Large multinational corporations offer higher base salaries, comprehensive benefits, and stock options. Google India pays AI engineers an average of 46.5 lakhs per annum, while Qualcomm offers around 28.5 lakhs. ​ Indian unicorns and high-growth startups offer competitive packages. Flipkart pays AI leads between 35 to 40 lakhs per annum, while Razorpay offers software engineers 12 to 19 lakhs. These companies often supplement cash compensation with employee stock ownership plans. ​ Consulting firms like Deloitte, PwC, and Accenture pay AI engineers between 18 to 30 lakhs per annum, with the advantage of exposure to diverse projects across multiple clients. Service-based IT companies like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro offer more modest packages ranging from 5 to 13 lakhs per annum but provide stability and structured career growth.​

Top AI and ML Job Roles and Their Salaries

AI Engineer

AI engineers design and implement artificial intelligence systems across various applications. They earn between 12 to 25 lakhs per annum on average in India. Entry-level AI engineers start around 6 to 10 lakhs, while experienced professionals can earn significantly more.​

AI engineers work on diverse projects including chatbots, recommendation systems, predictive analytics platforms, and intelligent automation solutions. They collaborate with data scientists, software engineers, and business stakeholders to translate AI capabilities into practical applications.​

ML Engineer

Machine learning engineers focus specifically on building and deploying predictive models. The average machine learning engineer salary in India ranges from 10 to 20 lakhs per annum. Fresh graduates earn between 4 to 8 lakhs per annum, mid-level professionals make 10 to 18 lakhs, and senior ML engineers can earn 20 to 35 lakhs or more. ​ ML engineers spend significant time on data preprocessing, feature engineering, model training, hyperparameter tuning, and performance optimization. They work closely with data engineering teams to build robust data pipelines and with DevOps teams to deploy models into production.​

NLP Engineer

Natural language processing engineers specialize in helping machines understand and generate human language. According to salary data, NLP engineers in India earn an average of 21.4 to 25.9 lakhs per annum. Entry-level NLP roles typically start around 10 to 12 lakhs per annum.​

NLP engineers work on applications like chatbots, sentiment analysis systems, machine translation platforms, text summarization tools, and voice assistants. They use frameworks like spaCy, NLTK, and Hugging Face Transformers to build language models.​

Computer Vision Engineer

Computer vision engineers enable machines to interpret and understand visual information from images and videos. The average computer vision engineer salary in India ranges from 12 to 22 lakhs per annum. Fresh graduates earn between 5 to 8 lakhs, while professionals with 7 years of experience can earn 13 to 15.8 lakhs annually.​

Computer vision specialists work in industries like autonomous vehicles, medical imaging, surveillance, retail analytics, and augmented reality. They build systems for object detection, image segmentation, facial recognition, and scene understanding.​

Data Scientist with AI and ML Focus

Data scientists with AI and ML expertise bridge the gap between analytics and intelligent systems. They earn between 10 to 20 lakhs per annum on average in India. Entry-level data scientists make around 4.4 to 10 lakhs, while experienced professionals with over 8 years earn up to 52.2 lakhs per annum. ​ Data scientists focusing on AI and ML applications spend time on exploratory data analysis, feature engineering, model development, and communicating insights to business stakeholders. They often transition into ML engineering roles or specialize in specific domains like fraud detection or customer analytics.​

Top Recruiters Hiring AI and ML Engineers

Understanding which companies actively hire AI and ML talent and their compensation structures helps job seekers target their applications effectively.

FAANG companies including Google, Meta, and Amazon offer the most competitive packages in India. Google India pays AI engineers between 12 to 37 lakhs per annum with additional stock options and bonuses. Amazon India offers AI engineers average salaries of 71.4 lakhs per annum, with packages ranging from 50.8 to 174.4 lakhs depending on experience and level. Microsoft India provides competitive compensation between 10 to 12 lakhs for entry-level roles and significantly higher for senior positions. ​ Indian unicorns have emerged as major employers of AI talent. Flipkart offers software engineers around 24 to 25 lakhs per annum on average. Razorpay pays software engineers between 12 to 19 lakhs, while Swiggy offers ML engineers between 10 to 30 lakhs per annum. Paytm and Ola also actively recruit AI and ML engineers for their product development teams.​

Consulting firms provide another avenue for AI careers. Deloitte offers AI and data analysts with ML specialization around 12 lakhs per annum with 1.7 years of experience. PwC and Accenture hire AI engineers for client projects across industries, offering packages between 18 to 30 lakhs depending on role and seniority.​ Indian IT service companies hire in large volumes. TCS offers freshers specializing in AI and ML between 5.8 to 9 lakhs per annum, with mid-level professionals earning 12 to 20 lakhs. Infosys provides similar compensation ranging from 6 to 8 lakhs for freshers and 12 to 18 lakhs for mid-level engineers. Wipro offers packages between 6 to 8.5 lakhs for freshers and 14 to 19 lakhs for mid-level AI professionals.​

Many AI and ML engineers experience significant salary jumps after completing relevant certifications or specialized training programs. Professionals who transition from general software development roles to AI engineering often see 50 to 100% salary increases within a year or two.​

Future Salary Trends for AI and ML Engineers

The AI and ML job market is growing fast, with rising salaries driven by new trends. Generative AI and large language models cause high demand, with average salaries around ₹39.2 lakhs per year, ranging from ₹21.2 to ₹181.2 lakhs based on experience and company. MLOps engineers also earn well, averaging ₹28.4 to ₹38 lakhs per year, reflecting the focus on production deployment. Remote work opportunities are increasing, allowing Indian engineers to earn global-level salaries adjusted for living costs.

India is expected to add 4 million AI jobs by 2030, with 1 million openings by 2026. Salary growth is strong: entry-level pay could rise from ₹6–10 lakhs to ₹10–15 lakhs by 2030; mid-level from ₹12–20 lakhs to ₹15–30 lakhs; and senior roles from ₹25–50 lakhs to ₹40–60 lakhs or more. AI’s strategic value across industries ensures continued demand and compensation growth.

How to Increase Your AI and ML Salary

Professionals can take strategic steps to maximize their earning potential in the AI and ML field.

Get Industry-Recognized Certifications

Pursuing certifications from major cloud providers significantly boosts earning potential. AWS Certified Machine Learning Specialty, Google Cloud Professional Machine Learning Engineer, and Microsoft Azure AI Engineer certifications validate practical skills that employers value. These certifications can add 10,000 to 20,000 rupees to monthly salaries. ​ Advanced certifications in specialized areas like deep learning, natural language processing, or computer vision from providers like NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute or TensorFlow Developer Certificate demonstrate expertise in high-demand skills. Structured programs from platforms like Scaler or IIT certification courses provide comprehensive training that directly translates to job readiness.​

Build a Strong Project Portfolio

A well-curated portfolio of real-world AI and ML projects can differentiate candidates in a competitive job market. Employers increasingly evaluate candidates based on their ability to demonstrate hands-on experience through projects shared on GitHub or personal websites.​

End-to-end projects that showcase the complete ML pipeline from data collection and preprocessing through model development, deployment, and monitoring prove your ability to deliver production-ready solutions. Projects should include clear documentation, well-organized code, and explanations of your design decisions.​

Participating in Kaggle competitions builds both skills and visibility. Top performers in Kaggle competitions often receive direct outreach from recruiters at leading companies. Even moderate success demonstrates your ability to work with real-world datasets and compete against other data scientists globally.​

Learn MLOps, Cloud AI Tools, and Deployment

Moving beyond model development to understand deployment and operations significantly increases your market value. MLOps skills including containerization with Docker, orchestration with Kubernetes, and continuous integration and deployment pipelines are highly sought after.​ Proficiency in cloud platforms for ML deployment is essential. Learning to deploy models on AWS SageMaker, Google Cloud AI Platform, or Azure Machine Learning Services shows you can build scalable, production-grade AI systems. These skills can add 4 to 8 lakhs per annum to your compensation.​ Understanding model monitoring, versioning, and retraining workflows demonstrates your ability to maintain AI systems in production. This operational expertise is particularly valuable as companies struggle with the challenge of keeping models accurate as data distributions change over time.​

Network via Hackathons, Kaggle, and LinkedIn

Active participation in the AI community opens doors to opportunities and knowledge sharing. Attending hackathons provides hands-on experience solving real problems under time constraints while building connections with potential employers and collaborators.​ Maintaining an active LinkedIn profile where you share insights about AI trends, write articles about your projects, and engage with content from industry leaders increases your visibility to recruiters. Many AI and ML positions are filled through referrals and networking rather than traditional job applications.​ Contributing to open-source AI projects on GitHub demonstrates your coding skills and collaborative abilities. Many companies specifically look for candidates with open-source contributions as it indicates passion for the field beyond just employment.​ Investing in structured learning paths from platforms like Scaler or Coursera provides systematic skill development aligned with industry needs. These programs often include career services, interview preparation, and direct connections to hiring companies, significantly improving placement outcomes and starting salaries.​

Final Thoughts

AI and ML engineer salaries in India have reached record levels, reflecting the growing importance of these roles in business transformation. Entry-level salaries start at 6 to 10 lakhs per annum, mid-level engineers earn between 12 to 20 lakhs, and senior experts command 25 to 50 lakhs or more. Salaries vary by location, with Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Pune offering the highest pay. Company type also matters, as FAANG and top startups pay considerably more than traditional IT service firms. Specializing in hot areas like generative AI, MLOps, NLP, or computer vision can further boost earnings.

The career outlook is very strong, with India expected to create millions of AI jobs by 2030 and demand hitting 1 million by 2026. Professionals who continuously upskill, build strong project portfolios, and stay updated with the latest technologies can expect sustained growth and rising salaries. Whether you are a fresher starting out or an experienced professional planning your next move, AI and ML offer rewarding opportunities with challenging work and competitive pay.

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