AI specialists command premium salaries in healthcare jobs

Top pharma companies in medical devices, API and healthcare consulting companies need 30-40 percent of tech talent across departments.

The healthcare technology sector is looking at a reset in the current financial year, with competitive salaries, especially in senior positions, and a surge in demand for technologically adept professionals, data shared by staffing firm TeamLease Digital with Moneycontrol shows.

Integration of cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) have dramatically accelerated the pace of healthcare delivery, transforming the landscape.

“Job roles critical to healthcare technology, such as data scientists, developers, cybersecurity specialists, technical development engineers, quality testers, and designers, will see heightened demand due to their essential roles in advancing healthcare technology,” Munira Loliwala, AVP of Strategy and Growth at TeamLease Digital, told Moneycontrol.

The salary range is wider at the entry level — Rs 9.6 to Rs 18 lakh, depending on the role — compared to the mid-level range of Rs 15-22 lakh per annum (LPA).

Senior positions are seeing significant payout ranging between Rs 22 lakh and Rs 36 lakh.

Testing roles, both manual and automated, are well compensated and show a higher upper limit as compared to other roles.

With increasing emphasis on automation and AI integration, Loliwala said niche roles in AI are expected to see a salary hike of 15-22 percent in FY25. But at a general level, salaries will on average increase by 9-10 percent, owing to the need for research, better outreach and strategy.

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TeamLease Digital expects more tech professionals in the sector to switch jobs, leading to good hikes. Due to a lack of talent, most of these professionals are poached within one or two years, leading to a rise in salaries, with the hike ranging from 35 to 45 percent for roles in AI, R&D, strategy and digital transformation.

Demand for freshers

Top pharma companies in medical devices, API and healthcare consulting need 30-40 percent of tech talent across departments, however, fresher hiring is approximately between 22 and 28 percent of the overall talent need.

“The salaries for freshers in healthcare have seen steady growth, reflecting the demand for new skills. In contrast, salaries for lateral hires dipped post-COVID due to the need for more frontline workers. It is only now that the salary for laterals is matching the 2019-20 range and will see an uptick in the next two years,” Loliwala said.

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There still is a pressing need for infrastructure developments in the healthcare space. Another challenge is the lack of tech talent in tier 2 and 3 cities, which is coming in the way of digital innovations, the company said.

Loliwala said talent shortage is almost 38 percent in roles such as application software, testing, product development & design analytics, while niche roles in ML and data are expected to account for more than 60 percent of the shortage in the coming years.