A recruitment notification rarely states a salary. It states a pay level. To know what a post actually pays each month, you need to read that level and add the allowances. This page explains how, for central government posts.
Central government posts are placed in a pay matrix with numbered levels. Each level has a starting basic pay, and the basic pay rises by an annual increment. Under the 7th Central Pay Commission matrix, the starting figures for some commonly advertised levels are:
| Pay level | Starting basic pay per month | Typical posts |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Rs 18,000 | Multi-tasking staff, Group D |
| Level 2 | Rs 19,900 | Lower division clerk, junior assistant |
| Level 4 | Rs 25,500 | Postal and sorting assistant, data entry operator |
| Level 6 | Rs 35,400 | Inspector and assistant grades, junior engineer |
| Level 7 | Rs 44,900 | Assistant section officer, senior inspector grades |
| Level 10 | Rs 56,100 | Entry-level Group A officers |
These figures change whenever a new pay commission is implemented, and the level attached to a post is decided by the department. Use the level printed in the current notification.
Because DA and HRA are percentages, the same pay level gives a noticeably different in-hand figure in a large metro and in a small town.
State governments have their own pay scales and their own DA rates. Public sector banks follow wage settlements, not the central pay matrix, and PSUs use their own scales with a cost-to-company figure. Read the pay section of each notification separately.
It is printed in the vacancy table of the official notification, post by post. Every listing under latest government job notifications links to that document. If you are comparing a government offer with industry pay, the private jobs section lists openings where salary is quoted directly.
Once you have applied, the usual stages follow: admit card, answer key and result.