Updated May 2026 · India tech salary tracker
Machine Learning Engineer Salary in India
MLE is the highest-paid track in the Indian data / AI ecosystem — the talent pool is an order of magnitude smaller than DS or backend, and Staff / Principal bands at NVIDIA India and FAANG GCCs cross ₹1.2 Cr with RSUs.
- Entry (0–2 yrs)
- ₹10L – ₹18L
- Mid (2–6 yrs)
- ₹28L – ₹42L
- Senior (6+ yrs)
- ₹42L – ₹80L
Machine Learning Engineer salary by city
Mid-band pay for a Machine Learning Engineeracross India's eight largest tech employment markets. Click into a city for live aggregates and a top-paying-companies breakdown.
| City | Entry | Mid | Senior | vs Bengaluru |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru | ₹10L – ₹18L | ₹28L – ₹42L | ₹42L – ₹80L | 100% |
| Hyderabad | ₹10L – ₹18L | ₹27L – ₹41L | ₹41L – ₹78L | 98% |
| Pune | ₹9L – ₹17L | ₹26L – ₹39L | ₹39L – ₹74L | 93% |
| Noida | ₹9L – ₹17L | ₹26L – ₹39L | ₹39L – ₹74L | 92% |
| Chennai | ₹9L – ₹16L | ₹25L – ₹38L | ₹38L – ₹72L | 90% |
| Mumbai | ₹10L – ₹17L | ₹27L – ₹40L | ₹40L – ₹76L | 95% |
| Gurgaon | ₹10L – ₹17L | ₹27L – ₹41L | ₹41L – ₹78L | 97% |
| Delhi | ₹9L – ₹17L | ₹26L – ₹39L | ₹39L – ₹75L | 94% |
Top paying companies for Machine Learning Engineers
Long-standing top payers for this role across India. The live snapshot above lists which of these are actively hiring right now.
- NVIDIA
- Microsoft
- Flipkart
- Swiggy
Skills that drive pay in this role
Engineers and analysts who pair their core role with a high-demand skill set tend to land in the top quartile of the pay band. The skills below are the most-asked for Machine Learning Engineer postings on OwnYourCareer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary for a Machine Learning Engineer in India?
Based on 4 live Machine Learning Engineer job postings on OwnYourCareer in India, the median advertised salary is around ₹62.5L per year. Mid-career Machine Learning Engineer roles typically pay ₹28L – ₹42L.
How much does an entry-level Machine Learning Engineer earn in India?
Entry-level Machine Learning Engineers in India (0–2 years of experience) typically earn ₹10L – ₹18L per year. The top of the band is driven by product-company offers; the lower end is more common at services and consulting firms.
What is the senior-level Machine Learning Engineer salary in India?
Senior Machine Learning Engineers in India (6+ years of experience) typically earn ₹42L – ₹80L per year. Top-quartile offers usually combine product-company employer + a high-demand specialisation (e.g. multi-cloud, GenAI, real-time systems).
Which companies pay Machine Learning Engineers the most in India?
In our live job sample in India, the top-paying employers are Perplexity, Sarvam AI, Lowtouch.ai. Curated long-standing top payers for this role include NVIDIA, Google, Microsoft, Flipkart.
Salary bands curated May 2026. Live aggregates refreshed hourly from open job postings. Last data point: 22 May 2026.