Arya College of Engineering & I.T. says Freshers need to have realistic expectations, and someone with basic knowledge of Python along with a couple of projects in class could start at ₹5-8 LPA, particularly in service firms, while those who have good internships, practical experience with projects, know data structures and algorithms well, and also have practical knowledge of AI can compete for better-paying jobs.
Salary by experience
Fresher: 0–2 years for salary ₹6–10 LPA.
Mid-level: 3–6 years for salary ₹12–30 LPA.
Senior: 7–10 years for salary ₹30–60 LPA
Specialist or leadership roles for salary ₹60 LPA+
Why salaries differ
“AI Engineer” is an umbrella term that encompasses many aspects of work, and hence the remuneration of an engineer limited to just data preparation or use of ready-to-use AI APIs will differ from one designing machine learning pipelines, deploying models to the cloud, monitoring performance, and making improvements.
Some examples of the skills that could lead to increased remuneration include:
• Proficiency
• Experience in machine learning
• Basic knowledge of generative AI
• Understanding of MLOps
• Domain knowledge of various industries
Some of the hot skills today include generative AI and MLOps. According to TeamLease Digital, senior-level GenAI practitioners could command up to ₹60 LPA, whereas senior-level MLOps experts could earn up to ₹58 LPA.
Employer and city impact
IT services companies usually provide more structured entry points but may offer lower starting CTCs than product firms, AI-first startups, multinational R&D centers, and GCCs and Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Gurugram, and Chennai generally provide the widest pool of AI roles, although remote and hybrid opportunities have broadened access for candidates in cities such as Jaipur.
For an engineering student, the strongest path is not chasing a salary number alone. Build a portfolio that proves you can solve an end-to-end problem—for example, a Hindi-English document-search chatbot using RAG, with a tested API and deployed interface. That combination of coding, AI fundamentals, and deployment ability is what moves a candidate toward the higher end of India’s AI salary range.
Employer and city effect
While IT service firms may give more structured career entry, they may give low starting CTC when compared to product companies, AI-focused start-ups, international R&D centers, and GCCs. Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Gurgaon, and Chennai generally give the largest scope of AI jobs; however, due to remote/hybrid models, candidates from cities like Jaipur are getting more access.
The best way forward for any engineering student is not just focusing on the salary figure. Develop a portfolio demonstrating your capability to develop an end-to-end solution—such as a chatbot for searching Hindi-English documents using RAG and with API/deployment. This combination of programming skills and AI knowledge is how a candidate starts to inch closer to India’s AI salary range.