All Pay Levels (1 to 18 + 13A)
The 7th CPC pay matrix consolidates 35 historic pay scales into 19 functional levels. Pick your level for full salary breakdown, in-hand calculator and 8th CPC projection.
List of pay levels
Level 1 is the entry-level pay grade in the 7th CPC pay matrix, applicable to Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) and other Group C/D positions across Central Government departments. It begins at a basic pay of ₹18,000 with 40 cells of annual progression up to ₹56,900.
Level 2 corresponds to Lower Division Clerk (LDC) and equivalent posts. The pay-matrix row begins at ₹19,900 and progresses to ₹63,200 over 40 annual increments. It is one of the most common entry grades for clerical staff across Central Government offices.
Level 3 covers Constable (Executive) cadres in Delhi Police, CRPF, BSF and Stenographer Grade III posts in CSS. The pay matrix begins at ₹21,700 and tops out at ₹69,100.
Level 4 starts at ₹25,500 and is the standard entry grade for Stenographer Grade C, Junior Translation Officers and Tax Assistants in CBDT/CBIC.
Level 5 begins at ₹29,200 and applies to Upper Division Clerk (UDC), Sub-Inspector in CAPFs, and equivalent supervisory clerical posts.
Level 6 marks the start of Pay Band 2 in the legacy structure and begins at ₹35,400 in the 7th CPC matrix. It is one of the most-searched levels because it covers Inspectors of CBDT/CBIC, Inspector in EPFO, Senior Auditor and Personal Assistant — all popular SSC CGL post-preferences.
Level 7 starts at ₹44,900. It is the Section Officer (CSS) and Superintendent (Income Tax / Customs) grade — the first Group B Gazetted level in most cadres. It is highly sought because it confers gazetted status, signing authority and a meaningful jump in HRA + TPTA rates.
Level 8 begins at ₹47,600. It is occupied by Senior Section Officers in CSS, Assistant Audit Officers in IA&AD on direct recruitment and Junior Engineers (Senior Grade) in CPWD.
Level 9 begins at ₹53,100. It is the gateway to Group B Gazetted status in many cadres and is occupied by Assistant Audit Officers, Assistant Accounts Officers and Income Tax Officers.
Level 10 starts at ₹56,100 and is the entry level for Group A officers — IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and other organised Group A services begin their career here as Assistant Collectors, ASPs, Third Secretaries and ACITs.
Level 11 begins at ₹67,700 and is the Senior Time Scale for organised Group A services — Deputy Secretary (CSS), Deputy Director (CBI/IB), Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Superintendent of Police (Sr Scale).
Level 12 begins at ₹78,800. It is the Junior Administrative Grade — Director (CSS), DIG (Police), Joint Commissioner (Income Tax), District Magistrate (medium district).
Level 13 begins at ₹1,18,500 and corresponds to the Selection Grade for IAS officers and Director (Sr) in central staffing schemes.
Level 13A is a CSS-specific grade between Level 13 and Level 14, beginning at ₹1,31,100. It was introduced to accommodate the Director (Special Grade) tier in the Central Secretariat Service after the 7th CPC implementation.
Level 14 begins at ₹1,44,200 and is the Joint Secretary grade — the gateway to senior management in the Government of India. JS-level officers head ministry wings and report directly to Secretaries and Cabinet Ministers.
Level 15 begins at ₹1,82,200 (HAG scale — Higher Administrative Grade). It is the Additional Secretary grade.
Level 16 begins at ₹2,05,400 (HAG+ scale). It is the Special Secretary tier and applies to senior-most officers in their respective services.
Level 17 is the Apex Scale at a fixed ₹2,25,000 (no progression) and corresponds to the Secretary to Government of India and equivalent posts.
Level 18 is the highest civilian pay grade in the Government of India — fixed at ₹2,50,000 — applicable only to the Cabinet Secretary, the seniormost civil servant of the country.
How the 7th CPC Pay Matrix Works
The 7th Pay Commission replaced the legacy pay-band-plus-grade-pay system with a single unified pay matrix. Each pay level has 40 cells representing the maximum span of annual increments at that grade. Each increment is approximately 3% of the cell value, so an employee progresses one cell forward every year on the increment date — typically 1 July for those whose increment falls in the second half of the year, or 1 January (post-2016 OM amendments).
Movement between levels happens on promotion. The pay-fixation rule on promotion is: take an increment in the current level, then jump to the cell in the new level that is equal to or just above the post-increment basic. This ensures every promotion gives a meaningful pay raise.
Under the projected 8th CPC, every cell is expected to be multiplied by approximately 1.92 (analyst projections — not yet official) to derive the new basic pay. DA resets to 0% and accrues again from there. Allowances like HRA, TA, NPS, CGHS continue with the existing rate structure unless the commission notifies new rates.
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✓ Last updated: 2026-05-17 · DA 60% · Pay matrix from official 7th CPC notification.