Singapore has emerged as the leading market in Asia-Pacific for AI trainer compensation, with organisations in the city-state offering median hourly rates of S$ 32.31 (US$ 25.20), matching pay levels in New Zealand and surpassing all other markets in the region. These findings are drawn from a report by Deel, which analysed over one million worker contracts across 150 countries.
AI trainers perform a broad range of tasks, from data annotation to providing specialist expert feedback in fields such as medicine, economics and translation. The profession has grown rapidly, with AI trainer roles expanding by 283% in 2025 and over 70,000 workers now training AI systems across some 600 organisations worldwide.
Compensation for senior roles saw notable increases in 2025. Product managers recorded a 70% rise in pay compared with the previous year, whilst salaries for customer service representatives and sales account managers increased by 31.6% and 28.4% respectively, according to employer-of-record data. Employers are paying these premiums for roles that directly influence company strategy and revenue generation.
Software developers remain the primary category of cross-border hire for Singapore-based firms. Amongst startups with funding of S$ 128.22 million (US$ 100 million) or more, software developer roles account for 28% of cross-border hires, as high-growth companies seek to access skills that combine technical depth with commercial impact.
The report also highlights an emerging trend described as “currency hopping” in volatile economies. Contractors based in high-inflation countries, including Argentina, South Korea, Vietnam and Türkiye, are increasingly opting to receive payments in US dollars or stablecoins, in order to protect their purchasing power against currency depreciation. US dollars featured in half of the ten most common country-currency payment combinations recorded in 2025. The report notes that offering multi-currency payment options is becoming an important tool companies may use to retain talent in markets affected by currency instability.
