Data & AI Salary and Job Market in India 2026

You are weighing a data or AI offer in India right now, and you have no reliable way to judge whether the number on the table is fair. Pay data is scattered, most job posts hide salary entirely, and the market moves fast. Here is what the JobRise feed shows on 14 October 2026, and how to use it when you negotiate.

What the market looks like right now#

As of 14 October 2026, the JobRise live jobs feed shows 158 open Data & AI listings in India. You can browse all of them in the data and AI jobs hub. Of those, 139 were posted in the last 30 days and 79 in the last 7 days. That pace matters: most of what is open is recent, so a two-week-old search is already stale.

This is a snapshot of one job board, not a market survey. Treat it as a live read on what is being posted today, not as a census of every data job in the country.

Who is hiring: Bosch Group has the most open listings at 11, followed by Okta at 7 and V2 AI at 4. Then Outreach, Coursera, Stripe, Google, Lokal App, Mongodb and 2070Health at 3 each. Some of these names are recruiters or staffing firms rather than the final employer, so ask who the end client is before you invest time in the process.

Geography is heavily skewed. Bengaluru alone accounts for 53 listings, with Hyderabad at 9, Mumbai at 8, Gurugram at 8 and Pune at 6. If you are open to relocation, your effective market is several times larger.

Almost every role is full-time: 157 of 158, with a single contract listing. Contract data work in India rarely comes with the benefits package a full-time CTC includes, so price those roles differently.

What kinds of roles are open#

The titles span the range from analyst to architect. A few examples currently live: "Senior Data Analyst" at Okta, "Data Analyst" at Ericsson, "Director of Applied Science and Engineering - Knowledge Graphs & AI" at Outreach, "Enterprise Agentic AI Architect" at Coursera, "People Business Intelligence Analyst" at Godaddy, "Strategy and Analytics Business Partner" at Stripe, and "Enterprise Digital & AI Leadership" at Bosch Group.

There is also a fresher-facing posting, "Hiring Generative AI Engineer - Freshers 2026/27 (Computer Science or AI Only)" at Digitals AI Inc, which is worth noting because entry-level openings are rare right now.

That rarity is real. Only 1 of 158 listings looks entry-level by title, for example "Junior R&D Engineer (GEN AI/ML)" at Ubisoft. If you are a 2026 or 2027 graduate, expect a long search and consider analyst, support engineer and QA routes as on-ramps into data teams.

What listings actually pay#

Here is the blunt part. Only 19 of 158 listings show pay at all. That means roughly 7 in 8 employers are keeping quiet, which is normal in India and works against you if you do not prepare.

The salaries that are posted, quoted exactly as listed:

• "Data Analyst" at Clinton Health Access Initiative: ₹3.0-4.0 LPA
• "Data Analyst" at Yulu Bikes: ₹7.0-12.0 LPA
• "Data Analyst" at Millions Advisory: ₹5.0-17.0 LPA
• "Data Analyst L5" at Trigent Software Private Limited: ₹10.8-10.8 LPA
• "Data Analyst" at PayU: ₹7.0-15.0 LPA
• "Data Analyst" at Appitsimple infotek Pvt. Ltd.: ₹1.0-3.0 LPA

Read the spread, not the average. The same title, "Data Analyst", is listed anywhere from ₹1.0 LPA to ₹17.0 LPA in these postings. Title tells you almost nothing. Scope, tooling, company stage and location tell you everything.

Typical ranges by seniority#

The following are commonly reported ranges in India for data and AI work. They vary widely by city, company and year, and they are not drawn from the listings above. Verify against current sources before you anchor on any of them.

• Entry or support analyst: roughly ₹3-6 LPA
• Data analyst with 2-4 years: roughly ₹6-14 LPA
• Senior data analyst or analytics lead: roughly ₹14-28 LPA
• Data scientist or ML engineer mid-level: roughly ₹12-30 LPA
• Senior ML or applied science roles: roughly ₹25-50 LPA and above
• Director or architect level: ₹40 LPA upward, sometimes far higher at multinationals

Bengaluru and Gurugram pay at the top of these bands. Tier-2 cities and domestic firms pay lower. Global capability centres and product companies pay more than services firms for the same title.

How pay is actually structured in India#

The number quoted to you is CTC, or cost to company. It is not your take-home. CTC can include employer PF contribution, gratuity accrual, a retention bonus, insurance premiums and sometimes a notional value for stock. Ask for the fixed versus variable split before you compare offers.

Bonus is usually a percentage of fixed pay, often 10% at analyst levels and 15-25% at senior or leadership levels, and it is rarely guaranteed. A 13th-month payment is not standard across India but does exist at some multinational and GCC employers. Ask whether it is contractual or discretionary.

Employer PF contribution is typically 12% of basic pay up to the statutory wage ceiling, with some employers contributing on a higher base by policy. Gratuity accrues after five years of continuous service. If an offer mentions superannuation or NPS employer contribution, it is usually part of the CTC and reduces your cash component.

Equity or RSUs matter mostly at listed multinationals and well-funded startups. Ask for the grant value, vesting schedule and current fair market value. A paper grant in an unlisted startup is worth far less than an RSU in a listed company, and you should discount it accordingly.

How to negotiate the offer#

Start by picking a number, not a range. When a recruiter asks for your expectation, give a single figure at the top of what you would genuinely accept, then stop talking.

Worked example. Say you are a data analyst with three years of experience, interviewing at a Bengaluru product company, and the offer comes in at ₹12 LPA fixed. You could say: "Thanks, I am excited about the role. Based on the scope here and what I have seen for similar analyst roles in Bengaluru, I was expecting ₹16 LPA fixed. If we can get closer to that, I am ready to sign this week." Then wait. Silence is a negotiation tool.

Do not bluff. If you say you will sign at ₹16 LPA and they hit it, they will expect you to sign. If you have another offer, mention it factually: "I have another offer at ₹15 LPA with a similar start date, so timing matters on my side."

Always negotiate the fixed component first. A higher variable percentage sounds generous but pays you nothing if the company misses targets. Then ask about joining bonus, relocation support, and notice period buyout if you need it.

Write down the full CTC breakdown before you say yes. Compare fixed pay, variable pay, employer PF, stock and joining bonus separately. If you want a structured way to run the numbers and rehearse the conversation, use our salary negotiation tool before your call.

What to do before your next interview#

• Pull the current listing count and role titles from the data and AI jobs hub so you know what is live this week
• Pick two or three comparable roles with posted pay and use them as your anchor
• Write your walk-away number down before the recruiter call
• Ask for the fixed versus variable split in writing before you accept
• Ask who the end client is if the recruiter is a staffing firm
• Check the hiring report for India to see whether overall posting volume is rising or falling
• Confirm the joining date, notice period and background check timeline in the offer letter

For context on the broader market, the hiring report for India shows 1,867 open listings across all categories, with 1,345 posted in the last 30 days. Data and AI is a slice of that, not the whole thing.

Free tools#

• Data & AI jobs in India
• JobRise Hiring Report: India
• free salary negotiation guide

FAQ#

How many Data & AI jobs are open in India right now?

On 14 October 2026, the JobRise live feed shows 158 open Data & AI listings in India, with 139 posted in the last 30 days. The number changes daily, so treat it as a snapshot of one job board.

Why do so few listings show salary?

Only 19 of 158 listings in this snapshot show pay. Employers in India often withhold salary to preserve negotiating room, so you have to ask early and anchor using comparable posted roles.

What is a good CTC for a data analyst with 2-3 years of experience?

Commonly reported ranges for that experience level sit roughly between ₹6 and ₹14 LPA depending on city, tooling and company type. Verify against current listings and official sources before you quote a number.

Should I include variable pay when comparing two offers?

Compare fixed pay first, then variable separately. A 20% variable target on a lower fixed salary can beat a higher CTC with a small fixed component, so ask for the exact split before you decide.

Is Bengaluru the only city worth targeting for data and AI work?

No, but it dominates. In this snapshot Bengaluru has 53 listings while Hyderabad, Mumbai, Gurugram and Pune have between 6 and 9 each, so a wider search meaningfully increases your chances.