Data scientist and ML engineer salary in India 2026: full breakdown

Careers & SalaryIshaan VardhanOct 21, 20269 min read

A data scientist in India typically earns ₹15.2–16.8 lakh a year and a machine learning engineer ₹12.6–13.9 lakh, according to self-reported data on AmbitionBox, but both roles climb steeply with experience and employer. On Levels.fyi, which covers more global tech companies and includes stock, the India medians are about ₹30 lakh for data scientists and ₹28 lakh for ML/AI engineers, and senior AI architects reach close to ₹1 crore in TeamLease Digital’s 2026 benchmarks.

Here is what the published 2026 data shows by experience, company type and city, plus where the AI pay premium is heading. All figures are survey or self-reported ranges, not offers. A lakh is ₹100,000, a crore is 100 lakh and LPA means lakh per annum; at about ₹96 to the US dollar (Trading Economics, 2 October 2026), ₹15 lakh is roughly $15,600.

Key takeaways

• AmbitionBox shows data scientists at ₹11.3–12.5 lakh with 1–3 years, ₹14.9–16.5 lakh at 3–6 years and ₹20.5–22.6 lakh at 6–9 years.
• ML engineers start lower but rise fast; the “AI/ML engineer” title averages ₹26.6–29.4 lakh at 6–9 years on AmbitionBox.
• Internet and software product companies pay data scientists roughly 45–65% more than IT services firms on average.
• TeamLease Digital reports a GenAI developer rising from ₹11.2 lakh to ₹34.5 lakh between 0–2 and 6–8 years, and an ML platform architect with 15+ years at ₹94.8 lakh.
• Naukri data shows AI/ML hiring grew 45% in FY26, with the fastest growth in jobs paying ₹50 lakh or more.

Data scientist salary by experience

AmbitionBox’s data scientist figures are based on more than 61,000 reported salaries and were updated on 2 October 2026.

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Sources: AmbitionBox profile pages for Data Scientist, Senior Data Scientist and Lead Data Scientist, updated 2–4 October 2026.

For context, AmbitionBox puts data analysts at ₹6.5–7.2 lakh and data engineers at ₹11.6–12.8 lakh. Data science sits well above analytics, and the premium widens with seniority.

ML engineer salary by experience

Job titles in machine learning are messy, and AmbitionBox tracks “Machine Learning Engineer” and “AI/ML Engineer” separately. Both are shown below.

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Sources: AmbitionBox profile pages for Machine Learning Engineer (9,800 salaries, updated 3 October 2026) and AI/ML Engineer (10,100 salaries, updated 3 October 2026).

TeamLease Digital’s Digital Skills and Salary Primer FY2026–27, which studied about 37,000 tech and digital roles, gives a cleaner progression for AI-specific roles. It reported that a GenAI developer earns ₹11.2 lakh at 0–2 years and ₹34.5 lakh at 6–8 years, and a data engineer moves from ₹9.1 lakh to ₹29.6 lakh over the same span, according to CXOToday. At 15+ years, an ML platform architect earns ₹94.8 lakh.

How the data roles compare

Data analyst, data engineer, data scientist and ML engineer are often treated as one career, but the pay curves differ. AmbitionBox’s experience bands, all updated between 1 and 3 October 2026:

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Two things stand out. Data analysts plateau early, with the 6–9 year band only modestly above the 3–6 year one, so analytics is better treated as an entry point than a destination if pay is the goal. And the roles closest to building and shipping AI systems pull ahead after about six years. TeamLease Digital’s figures show the same shape: its AI-core GenAI developer reaches ₹34.5 lakh at 6–8 years, against ₹29.6 lakh for an AI-adjacent data engineer.

Data engineering deserves a closer look than it usually gets. It starts lower than data science, but the AmbitionBox sample is large, at about 1.1 lakh reported salaries, and TeamLease’s data shows the role more than tripling in pay between the early and 6–8 year bands. For engineers who prefer infrastructure to modelling, it is a well-paid path into AI work.

Salary by company type

As with software engineering, the employer explains a large part of the spread.

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At company level, AmbitionBox shows data scientists at TCS averaging ₹10.8–11.9 lakh, against ₹17.5–19.3 lakh at Tiger Analytics and ₹20.1–22.3 lakh at Fractal Analytics. For ML engineers, Google averages ₹25.5–37.9 lakh and Qualcomm ₹22.1–30.8 lakh, against ₹6.5–7.4 lakh at TCS.

Levels.fyi: the top of the market

Levels.fyi includes stock and bonus and draws more heavily from global tech firms and GCCs (global capability centres, the in-house tech hubs multinationals run in India).

• Data scientist: India median ₹29.9 lakh from 1,159 submissions; 25th percentile ₹18.2 lakh, 75th ₹44.9 lakh, 90th ₹64.6 lakh. Top-paying companies: Amazon (₹74.2 lakh median), Uber (₹58.7 lakh) and Microsoft (₹50.9 lakh). Source: Levels.fyi.
• ML/AI software engineer: India median ₹28.4 lakh from 1,459 submissions; 25th percentile ₹14.4 lakh, 75th ₹49.8 lakh, 90th ₹74.3 lakh. Source: Levels.fyi.

Both pages were accessed on 4 October 2026. The ML/AI distribution is wider than the data scientist one: its 90th percentile is higher but its 25th is lower, which fits a field where a small group of experienced engineers at top firms earns far more than the many newer entrants.

Michael Page’s 2026 list of India’s highest paying jobs puts the higher range for data science and traditional machine learning specialists at around ₹2 crore a year, according to Michael Page India. That is a ceiling for senior hires, not a typical salary.

Salary by city

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Sources: AmbitionBox data scientist and ML engineer pages (2–3 October 2026) and Levels.fyi data scientist page (4 October 2026), which lists only its top three cities.

City gaps are modest on AmbitionBox, within about ₹2–3 lakh for data scientists. Hiring momentum is spreading beyond Bengaluru: Naukri reported Kolkata (56%) and Delhi NCR (44%) led AI/ML hiring growth in March 2026, and Hyderabad led in May with 44%. If you are looking, our AI and ML jobs page lists current roles from official careers pages.

Why AI and ML pay is rising faster

The short answer is supply. TeamLease Digital estimates the talent supply gap at about 53% in GenAI and 55–60% in cloud, with only about 16% of Indian IT professionals holding AI skills, according to CIOL. The same report found entry-level AI-core roles in GCCs carry a median of ₹13.2 lakh, against ₹4.8–5.4 lakh for AI-support roles, and projected salary growth of 16–21% for AI-core roles in FY2027–28 against 7–8% for AI-support roles.

Demand data matches. Naukri’s JobSpeak index showed AI/ML hiring up 37% year on year in March 2026 and 45% for FY26 overall, with growth steepest in the ₹50 lakh-plus band (55%), according to Naukri. In May 2026, AI/ML hiring grew 22% while overall IT hiring fell 7%, and hiring for AI/ML roles paying above ₹30 lakh rose 27%, according to Naukri. Senior professionals were most in demand: hiring for the 13–16 years band grew 32%.

Supply is growing too. Nasscom’s Annual Strategic Review 2026 said more than 2 million tech professionals had been upskilled in AI, including 200,000–300,000 in advanced AI skills, according to Nasscom. That suggests the premium will hold for people with deep, production-level skills, while basic “AI awareness” becomes a baseline expectation.

How to move up the pay curve

• Ship models to production. The jump from data scientist to ML engineer or GenAI developer pay tends to follow deployment experience: serving, monitoring and maintaining models, not just training them.
• Pick employers with product ownership. AmbitionBox shows internet and software product companies paying data scientists ₹18.6–23.3 lakh on average against ₹12.9–14.3 lakh at IT services firms.
• Specialise where supply is thin. TeamLease’s AI-core tier, including GenAI and ML platform roles, carries both the highest pay and the fastest projected growth.
• Know your numbers. Convert offers into take-home pay with our in-hand salary calculator, and compare switch offers with the salary hike calculator. For tax treatment of stock or bonuses, confirm with a qualified tax professional.

Bottom line

Data science and ML engineering are among India’s better-paid tech careers, but the typical salary is lower than social media suggests: ₹15–17 lakh for data scientists and ₹13–14 lakh for ML engineers on AmbitionBox. The big numbers, ₹30 lakh medians on Levels.fyi and close to ₹1 crore for senior AI architects in TeamLease’s data, go to people with production experience at product companies, GCCs and global tech firms. With AI/ML hiring growing fastest at the top of the pay scale, depth beats breadth. Browse current openings on our jobs board.

FAQ

What is the average data scientist salary in India in 2026?

AmbitionBox puts the typical band at ₹15.2–16.8 lakh a year for 1–8 years of experience. Levels.fyi, which includes stock and covers more global tech firms, lists a median of ₹29.9 lakh.

What is the salary of an ML engineer in India?

AmbitionBox shows ₹12.6–13.9 lakh for machine learning engineers with 1–6 years of experience and ₹16.8–18.6 lakh for the AI/ML engineer title. Levels.fyi lists an ML/AI software engineer median of ₹28.4 lakh.

Who earns more, a data scientist or an ML engineer?

On AmbitionBox, data scientists earn more than the “Machine Learning Engineer” title at early levels (₹11.3–12.5 lakh against ₹9.2–10.2 lakh at 1–3 years). At 6–9 years, the AI/ML engineer title (₹26.6–29.4 lakh) moves ahead of data scientists (₹20.5–22.6 lakh).

What is a fresher data scientist’s salary in India?

AmbitionBox shows ₹11.3–12.5 lakh for 1–3 years of experience. TeamLease Digital’s earlier primer put AI and cloud fresher salaries at ₹7–8.5 lakh.

Which companies pay data scientists the most in India?

On Levels.fyi, Amazon, Uber and Microsoft had the highest India medians for data scientists as of 4 October 2026.

Sources

1. AmbitionBox, “Data Scientist salaries in India”, updated 2 October 2026. Link
2. AmbitionBox, “Senior Data Scientist salaries in India”, updated 4 October 2026. Link
3. AmbitionBox, “Lead Data Scientist salaries in India”, updated 3 October 2026. Link
4. AmbitionBox, “Machine Learning Engineer salaries in India”, updated 3 October 2026. Link
5. AmbitionBox, “AI/ML Engineer salaries in India”, updated 3 October 2026. Link
6. AmbitionBox, “Data Analyst salaries in India”, updated 2 October 2026. Link
7. AmbitionBox, “Data Engineer salaries in India”, updated 1 October 2026. Link
8. Levels.fyi, “Data Scientist Salary in India”, accessed 4 October 2026. Link
9. Levels.fyi, “ML / AI Software Engineer Salary in India”, accessed 4 October 2026. Link
10. CXOToday, “TeamLease Digital Report: 53–60% Talent Shortage Hits GenAI & Cloud as AI Skills Lag at 16%”, 29 September 2026. Link
11. CIOL, “AI Salary Premiums Rise as India’s Tech Industry Faces Entry-Level Hiring Pressure: Report”, 29 September 2026. Link
12. TeamLease Digital, “Digital Skills and Salary Primer 2025-26”, accessed 4 October 2026. Link
13. Michael Page India, “Highest paying jobs in India: Top 10 for 2026”, 7 April 2026. Link
14. Naukri, “Naukri JobSpeak March ’26 records a 9% rise in white-collar hiring as FY26 closes at 8%”, 7 April 2026. Link
15. Naukri, “Naukri JobSpeak: White-collar hiring remains stable in May; AI/ML roles and Insurance sector continue to lead”, 5 June 2026. Link
16. Nasscom, “Nasscom Annual Strategic Review 2026” press release, 24 February 2026. Link
17. Trading Economics, “Indian Rupee”, 2 October 2026. Link

Featured image: An illustration of artificial intelligence. AI and ML roles carry the fastest-rising pay premium in Indian tech. · Photo: mikemacmarketing / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

How this article was made: researched and drafted with AI assistance by the 100xFounder editorial desk, using only the sources listed in it; every figure links to its source. Read our editorial policy, or report an error through our corrections policy.

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