AI/ML Engineer Salary in India: Fresher to Senior
Updated
Read these as estimates, not offers. Salaries vary widely with the company, the role, your skills and the city. Unless noted, the figures on this page come from IIT Kanpur EICTA's “AI Engineer Salary in India 2026” (published 20 July 2026). All figures are annual CTC in lakh rupees per annum (LPA).
01AIML salary in India by experience
| Experience | Typical CTC | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresher (0–2 years) | ₹5–8 LPA | Up to ₹15 LPA with GenAI skills; ₹8–15 LPA is the range at product companies and startups |
| Mid-level (3–6 years) | ₹12–25 LPA | Wide spread depending on company type and specialisation |
| Senior (7–10+ years) | ₹25–50 LPA | ₹50–80 LPA+ at product firms and global capability centres (GCCs) |
Averages can mislead. The same EICTA report notes that Glassdoor puts the average AI engineer salary at around ₹11 LPA, which mixes freshers at services companies with experienced engineers at product firms. The range you fall into depends far more on the factors below than on the average.
02AIML fresher salary: what to expect
Most AIML freshers start at ₹5–8 LPA. Large IT services companies cluster at the lower end (₹5.8–8 LPA for freshers), while product companies and AI startups hiring for generative AI work pay ₹8–15 LPA. Many CSE-AIML graduates also start in software engineering or data analyst roles and move into ML later; that is a normal path, not a setback. For first-job options, see what to do after BTech AIML.
03Salary by company type
| Company type | Reported range |
|---|---|
| IT services (e.g. TCS, Infosys, Wipro) | Fresher ₹5.8–8 LPA · mid-level ₹10–16 LPA · senior ₹15–28 LPA |
| Product companies & MNCs | ₹18–48 LPA for experienced roles |
| Global capability centres (GCCs) | Senior ₹35–65 LPA+ (one table in the report goes up to ₹80 LPA+) |
| AI startups | Mid to senior ₹20–50 LPA, plus ESOPs |
The source does not give separate fresher figures for product companies, GCCs or startups beyond the ₹8–15 LPA GenAI fresher band above. Startup ESOPs can be valuable but are not cash; value them conservatively.
04Salary by city
Relative to the national average for the same role:
| City | Compared with the national average |
|---|---|
| Hyderabad | +20–40% |
| Gurgaon / Delhi NCR | +20–35% |
| Bengaluru | +15–25% |
| Pune | About average |
| Chennai | About average |
Higher pay in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and NCR comes with higher rent, so compare offers on what you keep, not just the CTC.
05Salary by specialisation
| Specialisation | Range | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Generative AI / LLM engineering | ₹8–15 LPA | Fresher |
| Generative AI / LLM engineering | ₹20–70 LPA | Mid to senior |
| MLOps | ₹40–60 LPA | Senior specialist |
| NLP | ₹15–35 LPA | Experienced |
| Computer vision | ₹15–35 LPA | Experienced |
Generative AI and MLOps carry the clearest premium today. If you're choosing between roles, compare them in AI engineer vs ML engineer.
06CTC vs in-hand salary per month
CTC includes provident fund, gratuity and sometimes a variable bonus, so the monthly in-hand amount is lower. Approximate monthly take-home:
| Annual CTC | Approx. monthly take-home |
|---|---|
| ₹6 LPA | ₹38,000–42,000 |
| ₹8 LPA | ₹51,000–56,000 |
| ₹12 LPA | ₹75,000–82,000 |
| ₹18 LPA | ₹1,08,000–1,18,000 |
| ₹25 LPA | ₹1,45,000–1,60,000 |
Your exact in-hand pay depends on the salary structure, the tax regime you choose and how much of the CTC is variable. Always ask for the fixed component when comparing offers.
07What actually raises your pay
- Generative AI and LLM skills. LLM APIs, RAG, agents and evaluation are behind the ₹8–15 LPA fresher band. The AI Engineer roadmap and the more detailed AI Engineer roadmap (full topic list) cover them step by step.
- MLOps and deployment. Engineers who can ship and monitor models (Docker, CI, experiment tracking, serving) are rarer than those who can only train them. See the MLOps topics in the Machine Learning roadmap.
- Projects that prove it. Two or three deployed, well-documented projects make your skills believable to a recruiter. Pick from our AIML project ideas.
- Company type. The gap between services and product/GCC pay is larger than most city or college differences. Many engineers start at a services company and switch after one or two years with a stronger portfolio. See the companies hiring for AI/ML and current openings on the jobs board.
- Strong fundamentals. Python, statistics and classical ML make every later skill easier. Students can plan this from the 1st year with the AIML roadmap for BTech students.
08Frequently asked questions
What is the AIML fresher salary in India?
Typically ₹5–8 LPA, according to IIT Kanpur EICTA's 2026 report. Freshers with generative AI skills at product companies and startups can earn ₹8–15 LPA.
How much does an AI engineer earn per month in India?
At ₹6 LPA CTC, in-hand pay is roughly ₹38,000–42,000 a month; at ₹8 LPA about ₹51,000–56,000; and at ₹12 LPA about ₹75,000–82,000. Exact amounts depend on salary structure and tax.
Is AIML salary higher than CSE salary?
The degree name alone makes little difference. Pay depends on the role you get and your skills. An AI or ML role at a product company pays more than a general services role, whichever branch you studied.
Which city pays AI engineers the most in India?
In the EICTA figures, Hyderabad (+20–40% above the national average), Gurgaon/NCR (+20–35%) and Bengaluru (+15–25%) pay the most; Pune and Chennai are around the average.
Which AI skills pay the most in India?
Generative AI/LLM engineering and MLOps. EICTA's report puts GenAI/LLM roles at ₹20–70 LPA for mid to senior engineers and senior MLOps specialists at ₹40–60 LPA, compared with ₹15–35 LPA for experienced NLP and computer vision roles.