AI, data science engineers getting paid up to Rs 50 lakh: Quess report

Artificial intelligence (AI) and data science engineers are now earning 25–40 per cent more than traditional software engineers, making it one of the highest-paid technical job families in global capability centres (GCCs) across India, as specialised expertise and domain knowledge become cornerstones of future engineering roles, according to a report by staffing firm Quess Corp.

 

Similarly, specialised roles in cybersecurity — cloud security and zero-trust security — have surpassed traditional cybersecurity salaries, as AI-powered security expertise becomes a must-have for banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) and telecom GCCs. Cloud security roles command a premium of about 35 per cent, and so do AI-driven cost optimisation roles (AI FinOps).

 

For example, an AI and data science engineer with just eight years of experience can command a salary of up to Rs 50 lakh per annum (lakh per annum) in Bengaluru, Rs 45 lakh per annum in Hyderabad, and Rs 41 lakh per annum in Pune. Similarly, zero-trust security engineers are among the highest paid, with average annual salaries above Rs 50 lakh across the major cities of Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai, the report showed. AI-driven cost optimisation roles (AI FinOps) are now among the highest-compensated cloud roles, as GCCs seek to reduce multi-cloud expenses through automated FinOps solutions.

 

“While the demand is softening for traditional skill sets, there is a clear shift toward specialised expertise in emerging fields like GenAI, FinOps, and cloud security. These areas are no longer just trends — they are essential to the strategic growth of businesses,” Kapil Joshi, chief executive officer, Quess IT Staffing, said in a statement.

 

Jobs in generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), platform engineering and UI/UX have reported growth of 32 per cent, 26 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively. The growth of GenAI job roles, such as GenAI engineer and AI model ops specialist, is driven by early adoption in BFSI, retail and platform firms.

 

The data reveal that certain roles within GCCs are associated with premium salaries due to their specialised expertise and high demand in key technological areas. These roles, which are critical to driving innovation and digital transformation, command higher compensation packages.

 

These roles have become so critical to driving innovation and digital transformation in these GCCs that companies are ready to shell out a premium to attract the best talent. It is also the reason why compensation in these GCCs has far surpassed that offered by IT service providers, and these centres are expected to hire more than their counterparts for the third straight year.

 

As the number of such centres grows in India and global companies view them as an integrated part of their headquarters, demand for such specialised engineers is expected to grow. In the near term, however, GCCs will remain cautious of macroeconomic headwinds and tariff uncertainties and observe how the scenario unfolds. Experts say that while aggressive hiring may slow down if uncertainties persist, overall demand is unlikely to remain muted for long.

 

“In 2024, GCCs in India witnessed a slight but notable softening in overall talent demand, with requisition volumes declining by an estimated 3–6 per cent quarter-on-quarter. While the GCC ecosystem continues to be a cornerstone of global enterprise strategy, this tapering reflects a strategic recalibration rather than a structural weakness,” Quess cautioned.