AI jobs in Singapore: Fresh graduates earn up to S$90,000 a year

[SINGAPORE] Big tech companies and global banks may cite the shift to artificial intelligence (AI) to justify job cuts, but for the workers building these systems in Singapore, the technology is paying off. AI salaries in Singapore are rising up to five times faster than overall wages.

Wages for AI roles have increased by about 15-25% over the past year, with salaries for new hires typically starting between S$70,000 and S$90,000 a year, according to recruitment firm Robert Walters. In comparison, nominal wages for full-time workers rose by 4.9% in 2025 from 5.6% in 2024, Labor Department statistics show.

Robert Walters Singapore country manager Kirsty Portok said: “AI and database roles remain among the most in-demand positions in Singapore this year.” “Companies are racing to not only experiment with AI, but also leverage it at scale in their businesses.”

Although hard numbers aren’t available, AI hiring “continues to increase significantly over the past 12 months, particularly in AI engineering, machine learning, data science, AI product management, and AI governance roles,” Poltok said.

As an example, Chinese technology companies have stepped up efforts to recruit AI graduates from Singapore’s two flagship universities, offering significantly higher salaries starting at S$200,000 per year to entice PhD graduates to work in China.

At the same time, Chinese and US technology companies are ramping up hiring for Singapore-based jobs.

On May 20, US-based ChatGPT creator OpenAI committed more than S$300 million to build Singapore’s applied artificial intelligence sector. This includes establishing an Applied AI Lab and launching a training program to create more than 200 Singapore-based technical roles over the next few years.

Anthropic, the American competitor behind the AI ​​assistant Claude, is hiring its first Singapore-based product support specialist, according to an ad on LinkedIn.

Chinese tech giant Alibaba’s cloud computing arm was also establishing a global artificial intelligence innovation hub in Singapore in 2025.

demand is greater than supply

Poltok said that even if AI is not the only high-growth field, it is “clearly an outlier” in terms of high demand, talent shortages and high salaries.

He added that the demand for AI talent “consistently exceeds the supply of qualified candidates” and salaries are rising as a result.

There are a lot of AI jobs online. A search on job portal MyCareersFuture.sg on June 5 revealed 181 listings for AI engineers, 50 listings for machine learning and 13 listings for data science. LinkedIn Jobs has 139 AI engineer positions, 197 machine learning positions, and 76 data science positions.

But fresh talent is limited. Poltok said AI roles often take longer to fill than many other professions because employers are competing for a limited pool of candidates.

At Nanyang Technological University, which ranked first in the AI ​​field in ShanghaiRanking’s academic subject world rankings, only 83 students graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in data science and artificial intelligence in 2025.

However, enrollment jumped in the 2025-2026 academic year, with 558 students taking four-year courses. Another 340 people enrolled in master’s programs in artificial intelligence.

The National University of Singapore has introduced a new Bachelor of Computing in Artificial Intelligence in 2025.

Employers are particularly looking for “deep tech” talent who can move beyond building AI prototypes and incorporate systems into real-world operations, Poltok said.

“Chinese high-tech companies tend to place great emphasis on advanced technical AI capabilities and infrastructure, including research,” she added. “In Singapore, employers are generally placing more emphasis on commercialization and corporate integration, leveraging AI to improve productivity, automate workflows and improve customer experience.”

PhD not necessarily required

Common entry routes include a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, data science, mathematics, or engineering, especially from a local university, combined with skills such as programming, hands-on project work, or an internship using AI tools.

“For the majority of AI roles found in Singapore, a good bachelor’s degree plus work experience and appropriate skills are sufficient, but to get to the absolute top end of the field you need a PhD,” Poltok said.

He added that the total remuneration could be closer to S$350,000 for someone who is an “absolute expert in AI research or someone who is leading a major AI initiative in Singapore”.

As these highest-paid professionals are expected to lead teams and have responsibilities that are increasingly global in scope, companies are likely to look beyond Singapore for suitable candidates, recruiters said.

But the silver lining is that such AI leaders rarely act alone, said Yuan Yijia, founder of Singapore-based AI recruitment firm Dada Consultants.

“They will anchor the AI ​​organization here, and around that we will start to see recruitment for applied AI engineers, data analysts, platform and product roles. These are exactly the kinds of positions that Singaporean graduates and mid-career professionals can qualify for once they have the right skills,” she said. Straits Times.

Mr Poltok urged Singaporeans to rethink how AI can complement their careers, whether by choosing an AI-related degree, adding technical skills mid-career, or finding ways to apply AI in areas they already know.

As an example, Singapore University of Technology offers a one-year Specialist Diploma in Data Science (Artificial Intelligence), which is completed during off-hours.

But those who want to ride the AI ​​wave can do more than just check a box.

“It’s not enough to just take one course and say, ‘Okay, now I’m doing AI research,'” Poltock says. Candidates who stand out in job interviews are those who are “active, curious, and willing to take on internships, in-house test projects, or even independent work from home.” strait era