Singapore software engineers with AI skills earn 25% more: ‘no longer nice-to-have’

Companies are increasingly prioritising engineers who can work effectively with AI tools, especially in senior roles

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Men work with the help of AI. Salaries of AI-savvy software engineers have shot up in Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 8:00am, 4 May 2026

AI skills are becoming a clear salary advantage for Singapore’s software engineers, with those who have such capabilities earning up to 25 per cent more than their peers, according to a new salary report by NodeFlair.

The Singapore-based tech talent platform said its findings came from more than 230,000 verified data points and showed software engineers with AI expertise commanded a 13 to 25 per cent pay premium across experience levels.

That marks a shift from 2024, when rising demand for AI skills had not yet translated into higher wages.

According to the report, salary growth diverged by seniority, underscoring stronger demand for experienced hires. It found that pay for senior, lead and managerial roles had risen by more than 10 per cent, compared with 5.3 per cent for junior engineers and 1.7 per cent for mid-level positions.

A robot plays football during “RoboFest 2026” at the Singapore Science Centre Singapore on April 9. Photo: Xinhua

The report also found widening disparities within the workforce, with the top 10 per cent of engineers recording salary increases of up to 19 per cent.

Singapore software engineers with AI skills earn 25% more: ‘no longer nice-to-have’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Companies are increasingly prioritising engineers who can work effectively with AI tools, especially in senior roles

Companies are increasingly prioritising engineers who can work effectively with AI tools, especially in senior roles