Indeed Report Finds 54 Percent of AI Workers in India See Stagnant or Decreased Pay

A report by job portal Indeed has revealed a significant disconnect in Chennai and across India between employers claiming to offer salary premiums for AI-skilled roles and the actual compensation experienced by workers over the past year.

The study, which surveyed 1,267 employers and 2,541 employees across India, highlights a major gap between external recruitment promises and internal corporate realities.

According to the findings, employers are increasingly hiring AI talents and talking about paying a premium over compensation for other talent. However, workers are yet to witness the impact of this trend on their actual pay.

Specifically, 66% of employers state that they offer substantial salary premiums for roles requiring AI skills. These organizations report that AI-skilled positions command premiums ranging from 11% to 30%, and in some cases, 31% to 50% over non-AI roles.

In contrast, the experience of the workforce tells a different story. The report found that 54% of AI-exposed workers have not witnessed any positive impact on their compensation over the past year, experiencing stagnated or decreased earnings instead.

Among these professionals, 36% saw zero change in their compensation packages, meaning their pay remained completely stagnant. Even more drastically, 18% of the surveyed workers reported a net decrease in their overall earnings.

Indeed's report noted that this disparity indicates a clear lag in internal corporate compensation cycles. While the external hiring market is aggressively pricing AI expertise to attract new talent, existing employees within organizations are yet to feel the AI compensation premium.