AI salaries in S’pore rose 5 times faster than all other salaries, some new graduates get S$90K AI jobs

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AI salaries in S’pore rose 5 times faster than all other salaries, some new graduates get SK AI jobs

Salaries for AI roles in Singapore have increased by 15-25% in the last 12 months

Artificial intelligence developers are winning as AI is used to justify job cuts at tech giants and global banks. In Singapore, the salaries of the workers developing these programs are rising five times faster than the average salary.

Pay for AI roles rose 15-25% last year, with new hires ranging from S$70,000–S$90,000 a year, according to a report by Robert Walters cited The Straits Times. Meanwhile, average wages for full-time workers rose 4.9% in 2025, down from 5.6% in 2024, according to Labor Department figures.

“AI and data-driven roles remain among the most sought-after positions in Singapore this year,” said Kirsty Poltock, country manager at Robert Walters Singapore. “Companies are not just rushing to experiment with AI, but to scale it into their businesses.”

While hard numbers are scarce, Poltock said AI-related employment “has continued to grow significantly over the past 12 months, particularly in AI engineering, machine learning, data science, AI product management, and AI governance roles.”

For example, Chinese technology companies are intensifying efforts to recruit AI graduates from two top universities in Singapore, which offer the highest packages starting at S$200,000 per year to attract PhD holders to work in China, it reported. The Straits Times.

On May 20, OpenAI committed more than US$300 million (S$386 million) to build Singapore’s applied AI sector, including an Applied AI Lab and training program to create more than 200 Singapore-based technology roles in the coming years.

Its competitor, Anthropic, founder of AI assistant Claude, is also hiring its first Singapore-based product support specialists and offering a good salary, according to an advertisement on LinkedIn.

Meanwhile, Chinese tech giant Alibaba’s cloud computing arm has also set up an artificial intelligence innovation hub in Singapore by 2025.

Too many jobs, not enough people

AI is “clearly out there” with high demand, talent shortages, and high salaries—even if it’s not the only area with high growth, Poltock said.

He added that the demand for AI talent “always outstrips the supply of qualified people”, which has led to salary increases.

AI openings are everywhere. A quick search on career portal MyCareersFuture.sg on Jun 10 revealed 150 listings for AI engineers, 45 for machine learning and 15 for data science. On the other hand, LinkedIn advertises more than 800 posts for AI developers, more than 4,000 for machine learning and more than 5,000 for data science.

However, new talent is rare. AI roles often take longer to fill than other professional positions, Poltock said, because employers are competing for a limited pool of candidates.

Employers are hungry for “deep tech” talent who can go beyond building AI prototypes to embed systems in real-world jobs.

“Chinese tech companies tend to place more emphasis on deep AI capabilities and infrastructure, including research,” he added. “In Singapore, employers tend to place more emphasis on commercialization and business integration—using AI to improve productivity, automate workflows and enhance the customer experience.”

There is no need for PhDs for AI roles

Image Credit: Shadow of Light via Shutterstock

Common ways to get into AI roles include bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science, data science, math, or engineering—mostly from local universities—and programming skills and AI project work or internships.

“For most of the AI areas we see in Singapore, a good bachelor’s degree and practical experience and relevant skills are sufficient, but to get to the higher end of the spectrum, a PhD is required,” said Poltock.

“A consummate specialist in AI research or leading large-scale AI programs in Singapore” can command around S$350,000 in total compensation, he added. Such a professional is expected to lead a team and has increasing responsibilities around the world, where employers say companies often look beyond Singapore to find the right people.

However, the silver lining lies in the fact that such AI leaders rarely fly alone but form local teams, which creates low opportunities, said Yuan Yijia, founder of Singapore-based AI recruitment agency Dada Consultants.

“They’re supporting the AI movement here—and around them you start to see the hiring of embedded AI engineers, data analysts, platform and product roles. Those are the kinds of positions that Singaporean graduates and mid-career professionals can qualify for if they develop the right skills,” he said. The Straits Times.

Poltock urged Singaporeans to regroup and consider how AI can complement their careers, be it through AI-related degrees, the development of mid-level technical skills, or using AI in general fields.

But riding the AI wave takes more than checking a box by taking a single course.

Outstanding candidates are “active, curious and willing to get their hands dirty—by learning through internships, in-house research projects, or self-employment.”