Introduction
India is becoming a worldwide hub for data science as digital transformation, automation, and AI adoption continue to increase in industries. Organizations of all sizes are hiring data professionals to explore data sources and discover valuable data for analysis, helping to guide their future direction more effectively. Data science offers one of the greatest career paths for students and new graduates with strong data science salary, job security, and relevance to the future of work. Career sites tend to include data scientists in the top three most sought-after jobs in the nation.
If you are thinking of having a career in the data science field, you should know what salary you can expect at different phases of your career. In this blog, we will discuss data science salary in India and how the pay can vary by city, industry, and years of experience. We will also discuss how to make decisions to increase salary, and how to develop a plan to secure a job in today’s job market.
Let us move to the main section where we will discuss data science salary.
Data Science Salary in India
Below, we have discussed data science salary in India based on different factors such as location, experience, companies, industries, and job roles.
Data Science Salary in India by Experience
The average data science salary in India is ₹10-15 LPA, with freshers earning ₹4-8 LPA and experienced professionals (8+ years) earning ₹15-30 LPA or more.; however, salary expectations vary based on experience, skills, location, and industry.
| Experience Level | Salary Range (INR/year) |
| 0–2 years (Entry-Level) | ₹4 LPA – ₹10 LPA |
| 3–5 years (Mid-Level) | ₹10 LPA – ₹20 LPA |
| 6–10 years (Senior-Level) | ₹20 LPA – ₹35 LPA |
| 10+ years (Expert) | ₹35 LPA+ |
Data Science Salary for Freshers in India
Depending on your educational background and real-world experience, the average data science salary for new hires in India ranges from ₹4 LPA to ₹10 LPA.
Key factors influencing fresher salaries:
- College reputation (IITs/NITs vs Tier 2/3)
- Internship/projects on GitHub or Kaggle
- Certifications (Google, IBM, and many others)
- Proficiency in tools like Python, SQL, and Power BI
Top Cities for High Data Science Salaries
Salaries can vary significantly based on the location. Here is a summary of the highest-paying locations for data scientists:
| City | Average Salary Range |
| Bengaluru | ₹8 – ₹20 LPA |
| Hyderabad | ₹7 – ₹18 LPA |
| Pune | ₹6.5 – ₹15 LPA |
| Mumbai | ₹6 – ₹14 LPA |
| Delhi NCR | ₹6.5 – ₹13 LPA |
Tip: Moving to a Tier-1 city can result in a 20–30% pay increase.
Highest Paying Companies
Based on data from various sources, some of the highest paying companies are:
| Company | Average Salary (INR) |
| ₹20–₹35 LPA | |
| Amazon | ₹18–₹30 LPA |
| Microsoft | ₹18–₹28 LPA |
| Flipkart | ₹15–₹25 LPA |
| Deloitte | ₹10–₹18 LPA |
| Infosys/Wipro/TCS | ₹6–₹10 LPA |
Note: Product-based companies usually offer higher salaries than service-based companies.
Data Science Salary in India by Job Role
Data science is an umbrella field. Here’s how salaries differ by specialization:
| Job Title | Average Salary (INR/year) |
| Data Analyst | ₹4 – ₹8 LPA |
| Junior Data Scientist | ₹5 – ₹9 LPA |
| Data Scientist | ₹8 – ₹18 LPA |
| Machine Learning Engineer | ₹10 – ₹22 LPA |
| Lead Data Scientist | ₹20 – ₹35 LPA |
Data Science Salary by Industry
Data science salary in India as per different industries are:
| Industry | Average Salary (INR/year) |
| IT & Software | ₹8 – ₹25 LPA |
| Finance & Banking | ₹10 – ₹30 LPA |
| E-commerce | ₹9 – ₹28 LPA |
| Healthcare | ₹7 – ₹20 LPA |
| Consulting | ₹8 – ₹22 LPA |
Your technical expertise, certifications, and the company’s reputation can all affect your pay. Higher salaries are frequently earned by data scientists who are highly knowledgeable about AI, machine learning, and cloud computing.
Let’s discuss some of the factors that influence data science salary.
Factors That Influence Data Science Salary in India
Below, we have discussed some of the crucial factors to keep in mind that can affect the data science salary in India.
1. Experience
Not surprisingly, experience is the most significant factor that determines salary. More years means more compensation.
With experience comes better analytical thinking skills, a better understanding of the domain, and real-life experience with data problems, which makes you more valuable to an organization.
2. Skills in Demand
Mastering the right data science tools and technologies will directly influence your salary as a data science professional. Employers want candidates who can work with the complete data pipeline, from data collection and cleaning to analysis, visualization, and deployment.
- Programming & Data Handling: Tools such as Python, R, SQL, and Excel are critical to data manipulation, analysis, or automation. They form the central part of most data science processes.
- Visualization Tools: Tableau and Power BI allow you to visualize insights in an easily representative manner for your stakeholders to digest in order to make informed business decisions.
- AI & Machine Learning: The use of machine learning, deep learning, and NLP sets you up with the ability to build predictive models and intelligent systems that meet business outcomes.
- Cloud Platforms: Familiarity with deploying cloud services (AWS, Azure, or GCP) is increasingly sought after as most data solutions are now deployed on elastic, scalable, cloud-based infrastructures.
Not only do having these highly sought-after skills make you more employable, but they also provide access to better-paying roles across a multitude of sectors.
3. Certifications & Courses
Certifications from recognized online learning platforms lend your profile credibility and showcase that you are committed to continuous learning and devoting time to stay relevant in the industry, which may be helpful in hiring and salary negotiations as well.
4. Industry Domain
The pay scale varies by industry. Because they heavily rely on data to make decisions, sectors like retail analytics, healthcare, and BFSI appear to pay higher salaries. These types of industries tend to deal with large amounts of sensitive or regulated data where precise analysis and accuracy are essential, along with good domain knowledge. Therefore, if you are someone who has both areas of knowledge, along with data science, your area of expertise is valued and compensated well.
5. Location
The location of your job is important. You will notice that typical salaries are higher in metro cities such as Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, and Delhi NCR, all because there is more demand, a higher density of tech companies, and a higher cost of living in these states. At the same time, you will get relatively less in Tier-2 or Tier-3 cities.
Now that you have a good understanding of factors influencing the data science salary let us now discuss how to increase your salary.
How to Increase Your Data Science Salary?
- Upskill continuously: Complete online certifications from trusted platforms.
- Build a strong GitHub portfolio: Showcase real-world projects — end-to-end ML pipelines, visualizations, NLP projects, etc.
- Get internship experience: Even unpaid internships can boost your profile dramatically during campus placements.
- Apply strategically: Don’t just rely on job portals — use LinkedIn, attend data science hackathons, and follow startups hiring data professionals.
Career Growth & Salary Projection
The data science career path offers fast-track promotions. Python and machine learning pay well. Big companies offer the best money. Small startups give you more projects. Here’s what a typical career progression looks like:
- Year 1–2: Data Analyst – ₹4–6 LPA (data science salary for freshers)
- Year 3–4: Data Scientist – ₹8–12 LPA
- Year 5–7: Senior Data Scientist – ₹15–25 LPA
- Year 8+: Data Science Manager/Lead – ₹30 LPA+
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What can freshers in data science get paid?
Data science salary for freshers is somewhere between ₹3.5 LPA to ₹6.5 LPA. Based on whether they have done certifications or internships, they could get paid as much as ₹7 LPA.
Q2. What is the Data Science salary per month?
Data scientists can expect to make between ₹29,000 and ₹1,00,000 a month based on their experience and skill set.
Q3. What factors influence salary growth in data-related roles?
Experience, technical skills, certifications, project portfolio, industry domain, and location all significantly impact salary growth in data-driven careers across India.
Q4. Do product-based companies pay more than service-based ones?
Yes, product-based companies usually offer higher pay due to innovation-driven roles, advanced tech stacks, and greater funding. In contrast, service-based firms offer lower packages with more standardized, client-based work.
Conclusion
India’s data science industry is booming — and so is the data science salary in India, with steady growth in roles and sectors. As demand for data talent continues to rise, having a career in data science not only provides job security but also high pay scales.
Whether you are a student looking to explore career options in the future or a fresher interested in your data science salary as a fresher, the prospects are wide and expanding with each passing day. From fundamental roles to niche roles in machine learning, AI, and analytics, the possibility to increase your data science salary is excellent.
Enroll today in our data science course with placement guarantee and enter a profession where learning translates to greater pay and interesting opportunities.
