<p>Bengaluru: Amid the AI boom, professionals with AI-first capabilities, data engineers and cybersecurity specialists will be in demand and witness 10-12% salary growth in 2026. With IT services companies and startups focusing on AI-driven growth, these professionals will be so sought-after that they can command a significant rise in salaries, according to staffing firms. Currently, employees with niche skills draw a salary in the Rs 30 lakh-38 lakh range, and some AI engineers/scientists take home about Rs 60 lakh per annum.</p>.<p>Though salary growth across sectors will be moderate in 2026, people with niche talent are likely to see a significant increase in pay packages. “Overall, salary growth percentage in 2026 is expected to remain largely similar to 2025, indicating a stabilisation phase, rather than a broad-based escalation. The implementation of labour codes is increasing the overall cost of employment for organisations, which may impact salary hikes. Companies are moving away from uniform increments and are instead linking compensation increases to business performance and critical skill availability,” CIEL HR MD and CEO Aditya Narayan Mishra said.</p>.<p>However, select sectors are likely to see above-average salary growth. Clean energy, semiconductor, NBFCs, defence & aerospace, FMCG and GCCs are expected to lead, supported by investment momentum and ongoing digital transformation. “At a role level, skills such as data science, AI/ML, full-stack development, cybersecurity, investment banking, real estate advisory, and systems engineering will continue to command premium compensation, with increases outpacing the market average,” he added.</p>.Accenture revenue up 6% to $18.7 billion; AI new bookings at $2.2 billion.<p>According to him, GCCs and NBFCs are expected to see the strongest salary growth. NLB Services CEO Sachin Alug said increments in 2025 largely ranged between 6% and 8%, and that they anticipate 8-10% growth in 2026, driven by <br />demand for high-impact digital and business transformation roles, rather than volume hiring.</p>.<p>While infrastructure and real estate are leading with hikes close to 11%, automotive and NBFCs are near 10% on the back of EV investments and credit growth. “Manufacturing, GCCs and consumer sectors are clustered around 9-9.5%, reflecting steady demand for specialised roles. Banking is more selective at roughly 8.5 to 9% with higher rewards for digital, risk and compliance talent, while IT services lag at 7-8%, as global demand and automation weigh on broad-based hikes. In 2026, pay is no longer about across-the-board increases, but about paying up for scarce skills that drive productivity and resilience,” Apna.co CEO-Jobs Marketplace Kartik Narayan said.</p>.<p>According to TeamLease Digital CEO Neeti Sharma, salary increments for in-demand skills such as Cloud, AI, Security and Data will be much higher, in the range of 20-25% in order to attract and retain good talent.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: Amid the AI boom, professionals with AI-first capabilities, data engineers and cybersecurity specialists will be in demand and witness 10-12% salary growth in 2026. With IT services companies and startups focusing on AI-driven growth, these professionals will be so sought-after that they can command a significant rise in salaries, according to staffing firms. Currently, employees with niche skills draw a salary in the Rs 30 lakh-38 lakh range, and some AI engineers/scientists take home about Rs 60 lakh per annum.</p>.<p>Though salary growth across sectors will be moderate in 2026, people with niche talent are likely to see a significant increase in pay packages. “Overall, salary growth percentage in 2026 is expected to remain largely similar to 2025, indicating a stabilisation phase, rather than a broad-based escalation. The implementation of labour codes is increasing the overall cost of employment for organisations, which may impact salary hikes. Companies are moving away from uniform increments and are instead linking compensation increases to business performance and critical skill availability,” CIEL HR MD and CEO Aditya Narayan Mishra said.</p>.<p>However, select sectors are likely to see above-average salary growth. Clean energy, semiconductor, NBFCs, defence & aerospace, FMCG and GCCs are expected to lead, supported by investment momentum and ongoing digital transformation. “At a role level, skills such as data science, AI/ML, full-stack development, cybersecurity, investment banking, real estate advisory, and systems engineering will continue to command premium compensation, with increases outpacing the market average,” he added.</p>.Accenture revenue up 6% to $18.7 billion; AI new bookings at $2.2 billion.<p>According to him, GCCs and NBFCs are expected to see the strongest salary growth. NLB Services CEO Sachin Alug said increments in 2025 largely ranged between 6% and 8%, and that they anticipate 8-10% growth in 2026, driven by <br />demand for high-impact digital and business transformation roles, rather than volume hiring.</p>.<p>While infrastructure and real estate are leading with hikes close to 11%, automotive and NBFCs are near 10% on the back of EV investments and credit growth. “Manufacturing, GCCs and consumer sectors are clustered around 9-9.5%, reflecting steady demand for specialised roles. Banking is more selective at roughly 8.5 to 9% with higher rewards for digital, risk and compliance talent, while IT services lag at 7-8%, as global demand and automation weigh on broad-based hikes. In 2026, pay is no longer about across-the-board increases, but about paying up for scarce skills that drive productivity and resilience,” Apna.co CEO-Jobs Marketplace Kartik Narayan said.</p>.<p>According to TeamLease Digital CEO Neeti Sharma, salary increments for in-demand skills such as Cloud, AI, Security and Data will be much higher, in the range of 20-25% in order to attract and retain good talent.</p>