AI Engineer salary: 36 posted offers in India and the US
19 Indian AI Engineer job posts that state pay have a median midpoint of ₹27.5 LPA, about ₹1,86,954 a month in hand. Posted ranges run from ₹2 LPA to ₹60 LPA.
Every row is a real job post that states a pay range, opened on 8 Nov 2026 and linked. No estimates from salary sites. Closed posts and job-board copies are marked, because they still show what employers offered.
AI Engineer pay in India, post by post
Each CTC is converted to monthly in-hand pay on 2026-27 tax rules, so you can compare offers the way your bank account will.
- Posts with stated pay
- 19
- Opened 8 Nov 2026
- Median midpoint
- ₹27.5 LPA
- Middle of each posted range
- Lowest to highest
- ₹2 LPA–₹60 LPA
- Across all posts
- Median in hand
- ₹1,86,954/mo
- At the median CTC, new regime
| Company and role | Pay as posted | In hand / month | Experience | City | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meraki Labs (MyRico)AI Engineer | ₹50L – ₹50L / yr (ESOP available) | ₹3,12,853 | 7–15 yrs | Bengaluru | Yes |
| AI-marketing startup (via Orangemint)Founding AI Engineer | ₹30L – ₹60L / yrRecruiter post; employer not named | ₹2,00,943–₹3,57,512 | 3–8 yrs | Mumbai (hybrid) | Yes |
| Ind-US TargetAI Engineer | ₹30L – ₹60L | ₹2,00,943–₹3,57,512 | 3 yrs | Gurugram / Remote | No |
| RecroAI Engineer | ₹30L – ₹55LTalent platform; may be a client role | ₹2,00,943–₹3,30,803 | 3–5 yrs | Bengaluru (office) | Not stated |
| SciSpaceSenior Agentic AI Engineer | ₹30L – ₹47L; 0.02% – 0.05% | ₹2,00,943–₹2,96,067 | 5 yrs | Bengaluru | Yes |
| BotFriday AISenior AI Engineer | ₹35L – ₹40L | ₹2,28,921–₹2,56,898 | 5–8 yrs | Hyderabad | No |
| TapTalent.aiAI Engineer | ₹30 – 40 LPA | ₹2,00,943–₹2,56,898 | 3+ yrs | Bengaluru | Not stated |
| AuxoAIAI Engineer | ₹20L – ₹45L | ₹1,41,876–₹2,84,876 | 4–10 yrs | Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram | No |
| MorganstekApplied AI & Data Engineer | ₹24L – ₹36L / yr | ₹1,66,639–₹2,34,516 | 6–10 yrs | Remote | Not stated |
| Capgemini (via 10XScale.ai)Gen AI Developer | ₹15L – ₹40L / yrRecruiter post for an IT services firm | ₹1,08,599–₹2,56,898 | 5–13 yrs | Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata | Not stated |
| HBSPLAI Engineer | ₹20 – 30 LPA | ₹1,41,876–₹2,00,943 | 3+ yrs | Bengaluru, Chennai | Not stated |
| AISOSYSGenerative AI Engineer | ₹20 – 30 LPA | ₹1,41,876–₹2,00,943 | 3+ yrs | Remote | Not stated |
| timepay.aiVoice AI Engineer | ₹20L – ₹25L | ₹1,41,876–₹1,72,657 | 2 yrs | Bengaluru / Mumbai / Remote | No |
| Kuku FMAI Engineer | ₹15L – ₹30L / yr | ₹1,08,599–₹2,00,943 | 2–5 yrs | Mumbai | Not stated |
| EmplayLead AI Engineer | ₹12L – ₹15L (12–15 LPA CTC) | ₹91,388–₹1,08,599 | 3–4 yrs | Remote (Bengaluru) | No |
| krtrimaiq cognitive solutionsAI Engineer | ₹10L – ₹15L | ₹75,122–₹1,08,599 | 5+ yrs | Bengaluru (hybrid) | Not stated |
| Fxis.aiAI Engineer (Level 2) | ₹10 – 12 LPA | ₹75,122–₹91,388 | 3+ yrs | Ahmedabad | Not stated |
| EmplayAssociate AI Engineer | ₹8L – ₹10L (8–10 LPA CTC) | ₹58,856–₹75,122 | 1–2 yrs | Remote (India) | No |
| red6.aiJunior Applied AI Engineer, Agents & Integrations | ₹2L – ₹15L (₹2,00,000–₹15,00,000 per year)Unusually wide range | ₹14,058–₹1,08,599 | 1 yr | Remote (India) / Hyderabad | No |
| Experience asked | Posts | Median midpoint | In hand / month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 yrs asked | 2 | ₹8.8 LPA | ₹64,956 |
| 2–3 yrs asked | 10 | ₹25 LPA | ₹1,72,657 |
| 4+ yrs asked | 7 | ₹32.5 LPA | ₹2,14,932 |
AI Engineer pay in the US, post by post
US pay-transparency laws make employers publish base ranges. Equity and bonus come on top.
- Posts with stated pay
- 17
- Opened 8 Nov 2026
- Median midpoint
- $183K
- Middle of each posted range
- Lowest to highest
- $85K–$360K
- Across all posts
- Mention equity
- 11 of 17
- ESOPs, RSUs or options
| Company and role | Pay as posted | Experience | Location | Equity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snorkel AIStaff Applied AI Engineer, Enterprise AI | Tier 1 (SF Bay Area): $230K – $360K OTEOTE: base plus variable | Staff; 3+ yrs customer-facing AI | New York / San Francisco / Remote | Yes |
| ArtisanStaff AI Engineer, Agent Architecture | Base salary: $250,000 – $325,000 USD annuallyEquity 0.15%–0.30% | Staff | San Francisco, CA | Yes |
| AnthropicApplied AI Engineer, Enterprise | Annual Salary: $200,000 – $320,000 USD | 4+ yrs | San Francisco / New York City | Not stated |
| FutureApplied AI Engineer | $215,000 – $250,000 / year + equity | Not stated | Remote (US) | Yes |
| Midi HealthStaff Software Engineer, AI Engineer | Estimated salary range: $210,000 – $250,000 per year | 10+ yrs | San Francisco / Palo Alto | Yes |
| AHEADSenior AI Engineer, AI Services | $200,000 – $250,000 a yearRange includes target bonus (OTE) | Senior | Remote (US) | Not stated |
| FigmaAI Engineer, Internal Tools | Annual Base Salary Range: $153,000 – $296,000 USD | 5+ yrs | San Francisco / New York / Remote (US) | Yes |
| CollateAI Engineer | AI Engineer: $158–215K (Senior $188–275K, Staff $228–310K, Principal $275–325K)Row shows the AI Engineer tier | AI Engineer tier | San Francisco, CA | Yes |
| EvolutionIQAI Engineer (Agentic) | $170,000 – 195,000Bonus eligible | 3+ yrs | Chicago / Remote | Not stated |
| Locus RoboticsForward Deployed AI Engineer | $150,000 – $200,000 annually | 4+ yrs | Wilmington, MA | Yes |
| CensysSenior AI/LLM Engineer | SF Bay, NYC, Seattle: $179,000 – $201,000; all other locations: $148,000 – $192,000Two location tiers | 5+ yrs | Remote (US/Canada) | Yes |
| PalantirForward Deployed AI Engineer | Estimated salary range: $135,000 – $200,000/yearRSUs and sign-on bonus may be added | Not stated | New York, NY | Yes |
| FourKitesSenior AI Engineer | Expected annual base salary range: $140,000 – $180,000 | 5+ yrs | Chicago / Remote | Yes |
| ImpiricusAI Engineer | Base salary range: $140,000 – $170,000 | 3+ yrs | NYC / Atlanta / Remote | Not stated |
| NewsBreakApplied AI Engineer, Advertising Agents (New Grad) | Annual Base Pay Range: $135,000 – $155,000 USDOptions may be offered | New grad | Mountain View, CA | Yes |
| Pathward, N.A.AI Engineer, Senior | Salary range: $86,000 – $145,000Bank; yearly incentive on top | 5+ yrs | Remote (US) | Not stated |
| Myriad360Junior AI and Automation Engineer | Base salary range in New York City: $85,000.00Single figure, NYC only | 0–2 yrs | New York City | Not stated |
| Experience asked | Posts | Median midpoint |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 yrs asked | 2 | $115K |
| 2–3 yrs asked | 3 | $183K |
| 4+ yrs asked | 7 | $175K |
Software engineer pay at 15 companies that hire AI engineers in India
Self-reported total pay on Levels.fyi, India, opened 8 Nov 2026. Levels.fyi has no AI-only median for these companies in India, so each number is the company’s median across all software engineers. Treat it as the ceiling an AI engineer at that company can negotiate towards, not an AI-specific figure.
| Company | Median total pay, India | Entry PM level | Entry level pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uber | ₹1.05 Cr | Software Engineer I | ₹35.0 LPA |
| Salesforce | ₹84.2 LPA | Associate MTS | ₹25.9 LPA |
| Atlassian | ₹79.5 LPA | P30 | ₹43.7 LPA |
| Nvidia | ₹65.7 LPA | IC1 | ₹27.5 LPA |
| CRED | ₹61.2 LPA | L3 | ₹31.2 LPA |
| ₹59.4 LPA | L3 | ₹46.2 LPA | |
| Amazon | ₹57.0 LPA | L4 (SDE I) | ₹29.1 LPA |
| PhonePe | ₹49.5 LPA | Software Engineer 1 | ₹28.7 LPA |
| Microsoft | ₹49.2 LPA | 59 (SDE) | ₹26.6 LPA |
| Walmart Global Tech | ₹44.2 LPA | P2 (SWE II) | ₹20.5 LPA |
| Flipkart | ₹36.4 LPA | SDE 1 | ₹22.0 LPA |
| Meesho | ₹34.3 LPA | Software Engineer I | ₹25.3 LPA |
| Razorpay | ₹32.5 LPA | Software Engineer | ₹21.6 LPA |
| Sprinklr | ₹30.1 LPA | — | — |
| Swiggy | ₹29.5 LPA | L6 (Software Engineer I) | ₹20.6 LPA |
What the posts show
Patterns we saw across the posts above. Each one comes from the rows, not from a survey.
- India: 19 posts with stated pay have a median midpoint of ₹27.5 LPA. Ranges run from ₹2L to ₹60L, and 7 of the 19 start at ₹30L or more.
- Past three years, experience barely moves posted pay. The 9 posts asking 3–4 years have a median midpoint of ₹32.5L; the 6 asking 5+ years, ₹33.75L. The employer matters more: two posts asking 3 years offer ₹12–15L (Emplay) and ₹30–55L (Recro).
- Big product companies and GCCs almost never print pay in Indian posts; none of our 19 is from one. Their pay is self-reported on Levels.fyi, in the company table above.
- The title hides two jobs. On Levels.fyi the AI engineer median in Bengaluru is ₹20.5 lakh, while the ML engineer median there is ₹44.1 lakh. In the US it is $159K against $287.5K. Roles that train or serve models pay like ML engineering.
- US: 17 posts have a median midpoint of $182.5K base. 6 of 17 start at $200K or more, mostly senior, staff or frontier-lab roles. 11 of 17 mention equity; in India, 3 of 19 mention ESOPs.
Cross-check with self-reported pay
Job posts show what employers offer; self-reported data shows what people say they earn. The AI Engineer guide has both:
- India: median ₹17.8 LPA · Levels.fyi, AI Engineer, India
- United States: median $156K · Levels.fyi, AI Engineer, US
- Europe: Germany: median €81.1K · Levels.fyi, AI Engineer, Germany
How to negotiate an AI Engineer offer
What to ask for before you sign, based on how these posts are written.
- Ask which "AI engineer" this is. Posts with the same title range from wiring an LLM API into a product to training and serving models. The second pays like an ML engineer: In Bengaluru, Levels.fyi puts the ML engineer median at ₹44.1 lakh against ₹20.5 lakh for AI engineers.
- Bring a shipped system, not a course list. A RAG app or agent with an eval set, latency and cost numbers is the strongest evidence you can price yourself on, because it is what the interview tests.
- In India, split CTC into fixed, variable and ESOPs before you compare. Three posts here add ESOPs on top of the cash range (SciSpace, Meraki Labs and the Mumbai founding role); only the fixed part pays rent.
- For startup equity, ask the share count, the last price per share and the vesting schedule. "0.02%–0.05%" means nothing until you know the company’s valuation.
- In the US, ask which level the range is for. Collate posts four tiers from $158K to $325K for one opening; the level you are slotted at in the loop decides the band.
Quick answers
What is the salary of an AI Engineer in India?
Across 19 Indian job posts that state pay, the median midpoint is ₹27.5 LPA and ranges run from ₹2 LPA to ₹60 LPA. Checked 8 Nov 2026.
What is the in-hand salary of an AI Engineer in India?
At the median posted CTC of ₹27.5 LPA, about ₹1,86,954 a month under the new tax regime, with 50% basic, PF on the ₹25,000 ceiling and gratuity inside the CTC. Use the salary calculator for your own offer.
How much does an AI Engineer make in the US?
Across 17 US job posts with pay ranges, the median midpoint is $183K base, before equity. 11 of 17 posts mention equity.
Do AI Engineer roles come with equity?
14 of the 36 posts we opened mention equity (3 of 19 in India). Ask for the share count, strike price, vesting and latest valuation before you value it.
Do AI engineers earn more than software engineers in India?
At the same company, often not by title alone. On Levels.fyi the AI engineer median in Bengaluru is about ₹20.5 lakh, while the ML engineer median in Bengaluru is about ₹44.1 lakh (both Nov 2026). Pay follows the work: building and serving models pays more than calling an API.
What does a fresher AI engineer earn in India?
Few posts for 0–1 years state pay. In our set, the entry posts asking 1–2 years offer ₹8–10 LPA (Emplay) and ₹2–15 LPA (red6.ai). Product companies hiring freshers through campus usually pay their standard SDE 1 band: about ₹21–22 lakh total at Flipkart, Swiggy and Razorpay on Levels.fyi.
What is the median AI engineer pay in the US on Levels.fyi?
Levels.fyi reports a US median total pay of $159,430 for AI engineers (Nov 7, 2026), with the 90th percentile at $288K. Posted base ranges in our set run from $85K for a junior role in New York to $325K for a staff role in San Francisco.
The offer comes after the interview. Practise it out loud.
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