AI engineer salary in Singapore (2026), fresh grad to senior
AI engineer postings in Singapore list $6,000–9,000 a month, and $4,800–7,000 for fresh grads. How that compares with data scientist and data engineer.
TL;DR (Oct 2026, Singapore): AI engineer job postings in Singapore list a median salary of $6,000–9,000 a month, typically asking 3 years' experience (658 postings). For fresh grads (0–1 year), AI engineer postings list $4,800–7,000 a month (102 postings), about $58K–84K a year. That's above data scientist ($4,500–6,000) and data engineer ($4,000–5,000) postings at the same level. The "S$350K" in the news is for top AI researchers and leaders, not entry-level AI jobs.
Source: public Singapore job postings on MyCareersFuture, counted by OpenLadder, postings up to 13 Oct 2026. Salary = median of the monthly ranges stated in postings, before bonus; not what anyone actually earns. Every count below is a number of job postings.
AI engineer vs data scientist vs data engineer
| AI engineer | Data scientist | Data engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median salary (all postings) | $6,000–9,000/month | $6,600–9,000/month | $6,000–8,300/month |
| Typical experience asked | 3 years | 4 years | 3 years |
| Singapore job postings | 658 | 415 | 411 |
| Top skills in postings | Python, PyTorch, Machine Learning | Python, SQL, Data Governance | Python, SQL, Data Pipeline |
| Live page | AI engineer salary | Data scientist salary | Data engineer salary |
Median of the monthly ranges stated in Singapore job postings, up to 13 Oct 2026.
| Per month | |
|---|---|
| AI engineer | $6,000–9,000 |
| Data scientist | $6,600–9,000 |
| Data engineer | $6,000–8,300 |
Salary by years of experience
4–5 year salaries for AI engineer (176 postings) and data engineer (108 postings) are shown to signed-in users on their live pages.
| AI engineer | Data scientist | Data engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 yr (fresh grad) | $4,800–7,000 | $4,500–6,000 | $4,000–5,000 |
| 2–3 yrs | $5,000–7,000 | $5,400–7,500 | $5,000–7,000 |
| 4–5 yrs | — | $7,000–10,500 | — |
| Experience asked | AI engineer | Data scientist | Data engineer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–1 yr (fresh grad) | $4,800–7,000 (102 postings) | $4,500–6,000 (39 postings) | $4,000–5,000 (44 postings) |
| 2–3 yrs | $5,000–7,000 (286 postings) | $5,400–7,500 (160 postings) | $5,000–7,000 (167 postings) |
| 4–5 yrs | 176 postings (salary shown to signed-in users) | $7,000–10,500 (112 postings) | 108 postings (salary shown to signed-in users) |
| Share of postings open to fresh grads | 16% (102 of 658) | 9% (39 of 415) | 11% (44 of 411) |
AI engineer 102 of 658 postings, data scientist 39 of 415, data engineer 44 of 411.
| Share of postings | |
|---|---|
| AI engineer | 16% |
| Data scientist | 9% |
| Data engineer | 11% |
Fresh-grad AI and data salary, per year
| Role, 0–1 yr | Per month (median range in postings) | × 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| AI engineer | $4,800–7,000 | $57,600–84,000 |
| Data scientist | $4,500–6,000 | $54,000–72,000 |
| Data engineer | $4,000–5,000 | $48,000–60,000 |
| For comparison: "fresh AI hires" (Robert Walters, via Vulcan Post, 16 Oct 2026) | — | S$70,000–90,000 |
What it means
The S$350K is the top of the ladder. Vulcan Post's figure (citing Robert Walters) is for top AI researchers and leaders. AI engineer job postings in Singapore list a median of $6,000–9,000 a month overall, and $4,800–7,000 for fresh grads.
AI engineer has the most doors for fresh grads: 102 postings at 0–1 year, vs 39 for data scientist and 44 for data engineer.
AI engineer salary barely moves from 0–1 to 2–3 years in postings ($4,800 → $5,000 at the bottom of the range). Data scientist postings climb faster, reaching $7,000–10,500 at 4–5 years.
All three ask for Python first. AI engineer postings add PyTorch and machine learning; data scientist and data engineer postings add SQL.
Machine learning engineer is a much smaller title: 55 postings in total, too few at each level to compare fairly.
FAQ
What is the average AI engineer salary in Singapore in 2026?
AI engineer job postings in Singapore list a median salary of $6,000–9,000 a month, typically asking 3 years' experience (658 postings, Oct 2026).
How much does an AI engineer earn in Singapore as a fresh grad?
Singapore AI engineer job postings for 0–1 year of experience list a median of $4,800–7,000 a month (102 postings, Oct 2026), about $58K–84K a year before bonus.
Do AI jobs in Singapore really pay S$350K?
Only at the very top. The S$350K figure (Robert Walters, reported by Vulcan Post on 16 Oct 2026) is for top AI researchers and leaders; fresh-grad AI engineer postings list $4,800–7,000 a month.
Which pays more in Singapore: AI engineer, data scientist or data engineer?
Overall, data scientist postings list the highest median ($6,600–9,000 a month, 415 postings), then AI engineer ($6,000–9,000, 658) and data engineer ($6,000–8,300, 411). For fresh grads, AI engineer postings list the most ($4,800–7,000 a month).
Which AI or data job is easiest to get into as a fresh grad in Singapore?
AI engineer: 16% of its Singapore job postings are open to 0–1 year of experience (102 of 658), vs 9% for data scientist and 11% for data engineer.
What skills do AI engineer jobs in Singapore ask for?
Python, PyTorch and machine learning are the top skills named in Singapore AI engineer job postings (Oct 2026).
Updated 24 Oct 2026. These numbers are refreshed monthly. What was your first AI or data offer, and in which role? Tell us on r/OpenLadder.