New Delhi, June 18, 2026
Artificial intelligence (AI) upskilling is delivering significant career gains in India, with professionals reporting an average salary increase of nearly 150 per cent, while nearly half of AI-enabled career outcomes now lie outside traditional engineering roles, according to a report released on Thursday.
The report by Scaler highlighted how AI is evolving from a specialised technical skill into a workforce-wide capability across industries.
AI upskilling is driving salary growth across experience levels, with early-career professionals reporting average salary growth of 155 per cent, it added.
The findings suggest that AI is increasingly becoming a career accelerator for both young professionals and experienced workers.
Nearly 50 per cent of AI-enabled career outcomes now extend beyond conventional engineering roles into leadership, consulting, operations, human resources, marketing, finance, academia and other business functions.
The report further noted that nearly 25 per cent of learners now coming from non-technical backgrounds, signalling AI’s expanding relevance beyond software and engineering careers. In addition, women are playing a growing role in India’s AI ecosystem.
Commenting on this, Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-founder, Scaler said AI is creating new pathways to opportunity, accelerating career growth and helping professionals achieve stronger compensation outcomes.
He said the findings suggest that AI is emerging as a creator of opportunities rather than a threat to jobs for those willing to develop relevant skills.
Women reported an average salary jump of 145 per cent after transitioning into AI-enabled careers, while female quality assurance (QA) engineers recorded the highest gains at 574 per cent, according to the report.
City-wise, Bengaluru continues to lead India’s AI talent landscape, accounting for 19 per cent of learners, followed by Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Chennai.
At the same time, nearly one in five AI learners now coming from Tier-II cities such as Lucknow, Jaipur, Patna, Indore, Coimbatore and Nagpur.
Among career outcomes, software engineer emerged as the most common AI-enabled role, accounting for 34.77 per cent, followed by engineering leadership at 17.51 per cent.
The report showed that AI is opening up new opportunities in consulting, with consulting-related outcomes nearly doubling from 3.1 per cent of learners at entry level to 5.65 per cent of overall professional outcomes.
Moreover, VPs, CXOs and engineering leaders reported the highest post-upskilling salaries, averaging Rs 33 lakh per annum.(Agency)
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