2026 AI Wave: Top-Tier ML Jobs May Fetch Up To Rs 80-LPA Salaries
India's AI job market has grown by more than 40% year-on-year, with demand for professionals soaring across various industries, as per a report.
For Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) engineers in India, 2026 is nothing short of a golden year as opportunities, along with paychecks, are expanding rapidly across different experience levels.
An analysis by Testleaf highlights that the AI job market in the country has grown by more than 40% year-on-year, with the demand for professionals soaring across various industries, ranging from testing and automation to finance and healthcare.
The report states that the country will host more than a million AI and ML roles by 2026, while the average annual salary growth is expected at 15-20%. "The rise of GenAI and enterprise-level automation is pushing demand for engineers who understand both AI systems and real-world product integration," the report said.
What To Expect?
Starting anywhere from Rs 5-9 lakhs per annum, dedicated AI/ML engineers can go on to earn up to Rs 30 LPA plus bonuses and stock options over the next five years.
"Those who can blend data engineering, model deployment, and AI-driven testing will be at the forefront of India’s tech revolution," Testleaf said.
The compensation varies based on years of experience as well as the location.
Bengaluru, India's IT hub, leads the AI wave with the average AI/ML engineer salary at Rs 15-40 LPA.
It is followed closely by Hyderabad (Rs 12-32 LPA), Pune/Mumbai (Rs 10-30 LPA), Chennai/Coimbatore (Rs 9-25 LPA) and Delhi NCR (Rs 10-28 LPA).
AI/ML Engineer Salary in 2026
1. Freshers: Those having 0-2 years of experience can expect a starting package of Rs 6-9 LPA for an AI Engineer job and Rs 5-8 LPA for an ML Engineer. This includes roles like AI/ML Associate and Junior Engineer.
2. Mid-Level: An experience of around 3-6 years can get you a package of Rs 12-20 LPA as an AI Engineer and Rs 10-18 LPA for an ML Engineer. Profiles here include ML Developer, AI Engineer and Data Scientist.
3. Senior: Those having 7+ years of experience can expect an annual package of Rs 25-45 LPA for AI Engineer jobs and Rs 20-40 LPA as ML Engineer. This is for roles of Lead AI Engineer, MLOps Architect and AI Consultant.
Working remotely can help you get roles that pay even more, with senior AI engineers for US firms seeing equivalents of Rs 60-80 LPA.
Factors Influencing AI/ML Salaries
Skills: Experience in tools like Python, TensorFlow, PyTorch, LangChain, and MLOps can help engineers get a 20–30% boost in their salaries.
Company Type: Engineers are offered aggressive ESOPs by startups, while multinational companies provide them with structured pay with bonuses.
Remote Work: Working for global companies remotely can help get 2x to 3x the local average.
