According to a study conducted by the job and career platform foundit, Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialists are demonstrating an annual salary growth of 12%. In contrast, workers in traditional information technology roles have faced either stagnation or a decrease in income.
Data from foundit Insights Tracker (fit) indicates that following AI, the next category consistently showing salary growth includes computer and network security specialists, as well as semiconductors, whose incomes increased by 9%.
This gap has become more noticeable over the last two years: salaries in the AI sector grew by 23% between 2024 and 2026, whereas sectors such as electronic equipment and e-commerce experienced a drop in pay. Salaries in the IT services sector remained unchanged over the same two years.
For AI specialists with up to three years of experience, the salary range is from 8.87 lakh to 15.41 lakh rupees per annum (LPA). For those with over 15 years of experience, this amount rises to 70.99–89.24 LPA. The study notes that the cybersecurity field has an even higher salary ceiling—97.81 LPA, which is the highest among tracked categories.
The contrast between AI specialist positions and core IT roles is significant. Entry-level pay in IT and IT services starts from 2.68 to 5.08 LPA, which is approximately one-third less than what AI newcomers earn. Furthermore, for employees with over 15 years of experience, the salary reaches 57.55–72.13 LPA. Both categories also recorded a 1% decrease in pay over the last year.
Tarun Sinha, CEO of foundit, noted: 'For specialists, the conclusion is clear: salary growth will increasingly depend on those who continue to deepen and update their skills as business needs change.'
Income growth outside the technology sector is concentrated in areas creating new opportunities. Over the past two years, salaries in the semiconductor industry have grown by 17%, and in industrial automation by 13%.
The study also emphasizes that compensation in the AI sector varies greatly depending on location, reflecting the concentration of specialized employers and mature technological ecosystems. Bengaluru remains the market with the highest pay in India due to the density of product companies, AI-focused startups, and Global Capability Centers (GCCs).
Senior AI specialists in Bengaluru earn from 61.70 to 91.25 LPA, which is 10–15% higher than in NCR or Mumbai, and up to 40% more than in Chennai at senior levels. Hyderabad is becoming a close competitor, supported by growing investments in GCCs and product engineering.