AI Companies Hiring Software Engineers
AI Companies Hiring Software Engineers - Comprehensive Guide (Updated Sep 2025)
Market Snapshot (Sep 2025): The AI job market is experiencing significant growth, with job postings up 56% year-to-date. Hyderabad has emerged as a major hub with over 1,000 openings and a 10% growth in AI hiring, including strong momentum for senior roles reaching ₹50L-₹1Cr+. There is a severe talent shortage for remote Generative AI roles, with an estimated one qualified engineer for every ten openings, driving high compensation averaging $200K-$500K+ amid shortages. Equity boosts totals 20–100%, and the market favors production-ready talent. Strong hiring with 40+ AI SWE jobs on Internshala and expansions by firms like NVIDIA/ Microsoft; 26+ WFH AI jobs on Internshala; India-friendly like ElevenLabs with 30+ countries.
🎯 AI-Related Software Engineering Roles (Workflow Order)
Based on 2025 trends (e.g., LinkedIn/ Wellfound listings; demand for MLOps up 54% per Jagran Josh; focus on production skills like distributed systems/ RLHF).
Here is the reorganized order of AI-related software engineering roles, sorted top to bottom by the typical workflow in real-world AI/ ML organizations—starting with research and prototyping, moving into development, infrastructure, deployment, and ending with testing/ monitoring and specialized functions. This sequence reflects how teams generally turn ideas into production-grade AI systems in 2025:
The enhanced table with an added column specifying the primary function of each AI-related software engineering role—such as "development," "model testing," "cost optimization," "infrastructure," and more. This column clarifies the main area of contribution for each role, making it easy to understand their focus within the engineering lifecycle.
AI Engineering Roles with Primary Function
| Role Type | Primary Function | What They Do | Key Skills | Typical Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Engineer | Model R&D/ Prototyping | Implement papers, develop new architectures, conduct experiments | PyTorch/ TensorFlow, Transformers, RLHF | $200K - $1M+ |
| LLM/ NLP Engineer | Model Development/ Tuning | Fine-tune language models, build RAG systems, prompt engineering | Transformers, PyTorch, RLHF | $180K - $500K |
| Applied AI Engineer | Production Integration | Integrate AI into products (search, ranking, recommendations) | Python, REST APIs, A/ B testing | $100K - $400K |
| Edge AI Engineer | Deployment/ Model Optimization | Optimize models for mobile/ embedded devices | TensorFlow Lite, ONNX, Quantization | $140K - $350K |
| Compiler/ Kernel Engineer | Model Cost Optimization | Optimize AI workloads for hardware acceleration | CUDA, Triton, XLA, Graph Compilation | $200K - $500K |
| ML Infrastructure Engineer | Infrastructure/ Scalability | Build distributed training/ serving systems, optimize GPU utilization | CUDA, Docker, Kubernetes, Ray | $150K - $600K |
| Platform Engineer | Internal Platform/ Tooling | Build internal AI tools, model registries, serving infrastructure | Cloud platforms, APIs, Microservices | $150K - $400K |
| MLOps Engineer | Deployment/ Monitoring | Deploy models, build pipelines, monitoring systems | MLflow, Kubeflow, CI/ CD | $120K - $350K |
| AI Safety Engineer | Model Validation/ Safety | Alignment research, red-teaming, interpretability | RLHF, Constitutional AI | $200K - $800K |
Primary Function defines the most specific area where each role contributes during the AI product development process, making distinctions between development, testing, optimization, infrastructure, deployment, and safety clear.
Research Engineers start the cycle by exploring new ideas and laying conceptual foundations. NLP/ LLM Engineers build and refine these models into usable components for language tasks. Applied AI Engineers bring this work into products, while Edge AI Engineers adapt models for new hardware platforms. Kernel/ Compiler, ML Infrastructure, and Platform Engineers handle performance optimization, distribution, and operational tooling. MLOps Engineers focus on deployment, automation, and robust monitoring in production. AI Safety Engineers ensure reliability, safety, and responsible alignment for deployed systems.
This reflects a pipeline from research and prototyping to robust production and ethical oversight in AI engineering today.
💡 KEY INSIGHTS & APPLICATION TIPS
AI Business Models
- Model Builders: OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, DeepMind, Meta AI, Mistral AI develop foundation LLMs like GPT, Claude, and Grok.
- Infrastructure/ Hardware: NVIDIA, Groq, Together AI provide GPUs, chips, and cloud infrastructure for training and inference.
- API/ Platform Providers: Cohere, OpenRouter, Replicate, Hugging Face, Scale AI offer inference APIs, model hosting, and data tools.
- Applied AI Products: Perplexity (search/ RAG), Stability AI/ Runway (GenAI media), ElevenLabs (voice synthesis), Replit (AI coding) focus on specific AI applications.
Compensation Notes
- Total Compensation (TC) is composed of Base Salary (50-70%), Equity/ RSUs (can add 20-100%+), and Bonuses.
- OpenAI engineers can earn from approximately $250K to over $1.2M in total compensation depending on level (median: $910K).
- Remote roles often require US/ EU work authorization and expect overlap with US timezones, with compensation adjusted by location for 85% of startups.
Quick Application Hacks
- Keywords: Search careers pages for "AI", "ML", "LLM", "CUDA", "GenAI", and "Inference" to find relevant roles.
- Speed: Apply within 48 hours of a posting, as top positions close quickly.
- Referrals: A referral from a current employee can increase your chances of getting an interview by 5-10 times.
- Compensation Benchmarks: Use sites like Levels.fyi to understand typical compensation packages for your target roles and level.
- Technical Depth: Emphasize experience with large-scale distributed systems, GPU/ TPU programming (CUDA, JAX), model serving at scale, RLHF pipelines, and open-source contributions. For junior positions, highlight relevant coursework, personal projects, and internships involving GenAI or LLM applications.
Technical Skills to Highlight
- Large-scale distributed systems.
- GPU/ TPU programming (CUDA, JAX).
- Model serving at scale.
- Open-source contributions (PyTorch, Transformers).
- Production ML experience.
📍 HYDERABAD
This section covers companies with a significant presence in Hyderabad. Salaries are estimates for annual total compensation (TC). Strong hiring with 40+ AI SWE jobs on Internshala and expansions by firms like NVIDIA/ Microsoft.
| Salary Range | Company | AI Focus | Typical Roles | Careers Page | Recent Postings (Sep 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > ₹1 Cr | • Builds Gemini models • Vertex AI platform • Search/ Ads ML infrastructure | Staff/ Principal SWE-ML, L5-L7 ML Infra Lead | [careers.google.com/ locations/ hyderabad](https:/ / careers.google.com/ locations/ hyderabad) | Senior SWE - Gemini Infra (L5; est. ₹1.5Cr+; LinkedIn) | |
| > ₹1 Cr | Microsoft | • Azure OpenAI services • Copilot AI products • LLM infrastructure | Principal SWE - AI Platform, Applied Scientist | [careers.microsoft.com/ us/ en/ location/ india/ hyderabad](https:/ / careers.microsoft.com/ us/ en/ location/ india/ hyderabad) | Principal SWE - Azure AI Core (est. ₹1.2Cr+; active) |
| > ₹1 Cr | NVIDIA | • AI hardware (GPUs) • CUDA/ TensorRT software • DGX cloud infrastructure | Senior CUDA Engineer, DL Compiler Engineer | [nvidia.com/ careers](https:/ / www.nvidia.com/ en-in/ about-nvidia/ careers/ ) | Senior CUDA SWE - Deep Learning (est. ₹1.3Cr+; site) |
| > ₹50L | Amazon (AWS) | • Bedrock (managed LLMs) • SageMaker ML platform • Alexa AI | SDE III - Machine Learning, ML Services | [amazon.jobs/ en/ locations/ hyderabad-india](https:/ / www.amazon.jobs/ en/ locations/ hyderabad-india) | SDE III - ML Platform (est. ₹70L+; Naukri ID 2767894) |
| > ₹50L | Meta | • Llama open-source models • AI infrastructure • Ranking systems | SWE - AI Infra, LLM Serving/ Ranking | [metacareers.com/ locations/ hyderabad/ ](https:/ / www.metacareers.com/ locations/ hyderabad/ ) | SWE - AI Infra & Ranking (est. ₹60L+; active) |
| > ₹50L | Apple | • On-device ML • Siri development • Computer vision for iOS | ML Engineer - iOS Platform, CV Engineer | [jobs.apple.com/ en-in/ search?location=india-Hyderabad](https:/ / jobs.apple.com/ en-in/ search?location=india-Hyderabad) | ML Engineer - Computer Vision (est. ₹55L+; recent) |
| > ₹40L | Salesforce | • Einstein AI platform • Enterprise LLMs • CRM GenAI applications | Backend/ ML Platform Engineer | [salesforce.com/ careers](https:/ / www.salesforce.com/ company/ careers/ ) | SWE - Einstein Platform (est. ₹50L+; active) |
| > ₹40L | ServiceNow | • Now Assist GenAI • Workflow automation AI • Retrieval systems | Senior GenAI Engineer | [careers.servicenow.com](https:/ / careers.servicenow.com/ ) | Senior SWE - GenAI Retrieval (est. ₹48L+; recent) |
| > ₹40L | Qualcomm | • Edge AI processors • Snapdragon AI SDK • On-device inference | AI Systems Engineer | [qualcomm.com/ careers](https:/ / www.qualcomm.com/ company/ careers) | Engineer - Edge AI Systems (est. ₹45L+; Internshala) |
| > ₹40L | DigitalOcean | • AI platforms (Gradient) • ML workflows/ infra for agents | Staff SWE - AI/ ML | [digitalocean.com/ careers](https:/ / www.digitalocean.com/ careers) | Staff SWE - AI/ ML (est. ₹45L+; active on site) |
| > ₹40L | Synopsys | • GenAI Center of Excellence • AI-powered EDA tools | Senior Staff AI Engineer | [careers.synopsys.com](https:/ / careers.synopsys.com/ ) | AI - Senior Staff Engineer (est. ₹45L+; active) |
| > ₹40L | Amgen | • AI & Data Innovation Lab • Drug discovery AI | Specialist Software Engineer - Backend | [careers.amgen.com](https:/ / careers.amgen.com/ ) | Specialist SWE - AI Lab (est. ₹45L+; recent) |
🌐 REMOTE (Work from India/ Global)
This section lists companies known for offering remote positions, though availability for India-based employees may vary. Most require significant timezone overlap and work authorization. Updated for roles accessible from India (e.g., global distributed teams; 26+ WFH AI jobs on Internshala; India-friendly like ElevenLabs with 30+ countries). Remote GenAI roles averaging $200K-$500K+ amid severe talent shortage.
| Salary Range | Company | AI Focus | Typical Roles | Remote Policy | Careers Page | Recent Postings (Sep 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > $1M | OpenAI | • GPT model development • ChatGPT API services • Safety research | Staff/ Distinguished Research Engineer | US-based; limited India remote | [openai.com/ careers](https:/ / openai.com/ careers) | Staff Research Engineer - Superalignment ($1.2M TC; US remote-flex) |
| > $500K | Anthropic | • Claude LLM development • Constitutional AI • Safety research | Staff SWE - Scalable LLM Systems | US/ UK primarily; timezone overlap required | [anthropic.com/ careers](https:/ / www.anthropic.com/ careers) | ML Systems SWE ($550K TC; transitional remote US/ UK) |
| > $400K | xAI | • Grok model development • AGI research • Core infrastructure | Senior SWE - Infrastructure | US remote; India via contractors | [x.ai/ careers](https:/ / x.ai/ careers) | Senior SWE - Infrastructure ($450K+; exceptional remote) |
| > $300K | Groq | • LPU inference chips • Ultra-low latency • Hardware acceleration | Principal Compiler Engineer | US remote preferred | [groq.com/ careers](https:/ / groq.com/ careers) | Principal Compiler Engineer ($350K+; remote US) |
| > $300K | Perplexity | • RAG-powered search • Real-time answers • Retrieval infrastructure | Staff Backend/ Retrieval SWE | US timezone overlap | [perplexity.ai/ careers](https:/ / www.perplexity.ai/ careers) | Full-stack SWE - Remote ($320K; hybrid hubs, IST overlap) |
| > $300K | Cohere | • Enterprise LLMs • Embeddings API • Distributed serving | Senior Backend Engineer - RAG | Canada/ US; India-friendly | [cohere.com/ careers](https:/ / cohere.com/ careers) | Senior Backend Engineer - RAG ($310K+; global dispersed) |
| > $200K | Hugging Face | • OSS model hub • Transformers library • Inference Endpoints | Platform Engineer - Model Hub | Global distributed team | [huggingface.co/ careers](https:/ / huggingface.co/ careers) | Platform Engineer - Model Hub ($220K; remote global) |
| > $200K | Together AI | • Model serving platform • Distributed training • Cloud infrastructure | Senior SWE - ML Platform | US remote; global applicants | [together.ai/ careers](https:/ / www.together.ai/ careers) | Senior SWE - ML Platform ($250K; remote US) |
| > $150K | Stability AI | • Stable Diffusion • Video diffusion models • Open-source GenAI | Lead Engineer - Video GenAI | US/ UK remote primarily | [stability.ai/ careers](https:/ / stability.ai/ careers) | Lead Engineer - Video GenAI ($180K; remote US/ UK) |
| > $150K | Mistral AI | • Mixtral open-source LLMs • European AI models • API services | ML Ops Engineer | EU/ US; timezone flex | [mistral.ai/ careers](https:/ / mistral.ai/ careers/ ) | ML Ops Engineer ($170K; remote EU/ US) |
| > $150K | Scale AI | • Data labeling platform • RLHF tooling • AI evaluation | Backend Engineer - AI Ops | US remote; India overlap | [scale.com/ careers](https:/ / scale.com/ careers) | Backend Engineer - AI Ops ($160K; remote US) |
| > $100K | ElevenLabs | • AI voice synthesis • Speech generation • Audio APIs | ML Engineer - Voice | Global remote; Bangalore hub | [elevenlabs.io/ careers](https:/ / elevenlabs.io/ careers) | ML Engineer - Voice ($90K+; remote global, 30+ countries) |
| > $100K | Runway | • GenAI video/ image tools • Creative AI platform • Model APIs | SWE - Video ML | Remote-first NA/ EU | [runwayml.com/ careers](https:/ / runwayml.com/ careers/ ) | SWE - Video ML ($120K; remote US/ EU) |
| > $100K | Replit | • AI coding assistant • Code generation agents • Development platform | SWE - LLM Evaluation | US remote | [replit.com/ site/ careers](https:/ / replit.com/ site/ careers) | SWE - LLM Evaluation ($110K; remote US) |
| > $50K | OpenRouter | • Multi-LLM routing API • Model aggregation • Cost optimization | Backend Engineer - LLM Routing | Global remote team | [openrouter.ai/ jobs](https:/ / openrouter.ai/ jobs) | Backend Engineer - LLM Routing ($60K; remote global) |
| > $25K | Replicate | • OSS model hosting • API marketplace • ML deployment | Cloud Infrastructure SWE | US remote; contractors | [replicate.com/ careers](https:/ / replicate.com/ careers) | Cloud Infrastructure SWE ($40K entry; remote US) |
🌍 OTHER COUNTRIES (On-site/ Hybrid)
This section highlights top-paying opportunities in major tech hubs outside of India. Focused on premium hubs (e.g., US Bay Area >$300K+ per TeamLease; includes visa/ relocation support).
| Salary Range | Location | Company | AI Focus | Careers Page | Recent Postings (Sep 2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > $2M | US (SF) | OpenAI | • GPT frontier models • Foundation model R&D | [openai.com/ careers](https:/ / openai.com/ careers) | Staff Research Engineer - RL ($1.5M TC; SF hybrid) |
| > $1M | UK/ US | DeepMind | • Gemini-Ultra, AlphaFold • Fundamental research | [deepmind.google/ careers](https:/ / deepmind.google/ careers/ ) | Research Engineer - Gemini-Ultra ($1.2M; London/ MTV) |
| > $900K | US (SF) | Anthropic | • Claude-3+ development • AI alignment | [anthropic.com/ careers](https:/ / www.anthropic.com/ careers) | Research Engineer ($950K+; SF onsite) |
| > $700K | US | Meta AI | • Llama-3+ models • PyTorch • GenAI infrastructure | [metacareers.com](https:/ / www.metacareers.com/ ) | SWE - LLM Infra ($750K+; Menlo Park/ NYC) |
| > $600K | US | NVIDIA | • GPU software • CUDA ecosystem • DGX cloud | [nvidia.com/ careers](https:/ / nvidia.com/ careers) | CUDA Compiler Engineer ($650K+; Santa Clara/ Austin) |
| > $500K | US | • Gemini, Bard • Cloud AI platform • TensorFlow | [careers.google.com](https:/ / careers.google.com/ ) | Senior SWE - Vertex AI ($520K+; Mountain View) | |
| > $500K | US | Microsoft | • Azure AI • Copilot stack • OpenAI partnership | [careers.microsoft.com](https:/ / careers.microsoft.com/ ) | Principal SWE - AI Stack ($550K+; Redmond/ Bay Area) |
| > $400K | US | Amazon | • Bedrock, Titan models • AWS AI services | [amazon.jobs](https:/ / amazon.jobs) | Senior SDE - GenAI Services ($450K+; Seattle/ NYC) |
| > $300K | US | Apple | • On-device AI • Siri • Core ML framework | [jobs.apple.com](https:/ / jobs.apple.com/ ) | AI/ ML Engineer ($350K+; Cupertino) |
| > $300K | US | Tesla | • Autopilot AI • Computer vision • FSD | [tesla.com/ careers](https:/ / tesla.com/ careers) | SWE - Autopilot AI ($340K+; Palo Alto/ Austin) |
| > $300K | Canada | Cohere | • Enterprise LLMs • Vector/ RAG infrastructure | [cohere.com/ careers](https:/ / cohere.com/ careers) | Senior ML Engineer ($320K+; Toronto/ NYC/ London/ SF) |
| > $300K | France | Mistral AI | • Frontier/ OSS LLMs • European sovereign AI | [mistral.ai/ careers](https:/ / mistral.ai/ careers/ ) | ML Ops Engineer ($310K equiv.; Paris/ Palo Alto) |
| > $200K | UK | Stability AI | • Stable Diffusion • Multi-modal models | [stability.ai/ careers](https:/ / stability.ai/ careers) | ML Engineer - Diffusion Models ($220K+; London) |
| > $200K | US | Databricks | • ML platform • Model training/ serving | [databricks.com/ careers](https:/ / databricks.com/ company/ careers) | Senior SWE - ML ($240K+; SF) |
| > $150K | Singapore | ByteDance/ TikTok | • Recommendation AI • Content understanding | [careers.tiktok.com](https:/ / careers.tiktok.com/ ) | AI Engineer - Recommendations ($170K+; Singapore) |
Disclaimer: Salaries are total compensation estimates (base + bonus + equity) and can vary significantly based on experience, role, location, and negotiation. The job market is highly dynamic; always verify openings and details directly on company career pages.