Since 2016, central government pay runs on the 7th CPC Pay Matrix — a grid of 18 Pay Levels. Your Pay Level sets your starting basic pay, from ₹18,000 at Level 1 to ₹2,50,000 at Level 18, with IAS/IPS entry at Level 10 (₹56,100). The old Grade Pay system was scrapped and each grade pay mapped to one level, the new pay built using the fitment factor 2.57. Remember: the matrix figure is basic pay only — your in-hand salary adds DA, HRA and TA. This guide walks the levels, the post mapping and how increments work.
By Vishal Thakur, Senior Editor — Central Recruitment. Published 25 June 2026. Last verified 25 June 2026.
In short
- Since 2016, central government pay runs on the 7th CPC Pay Matrix — a grid of 18 Pay Levels. Your Pay Level decides your starting basic pay, from ₹18,000 (Level 1) at the bottom to ₹2,50,000 (Level 18) at the top.
- The old Grade Pay system was scrapped; each grade pay was mapped to one Pay Level. The new entry pay was built by multiplying old basic by the fitment factor 2.57.
- The matrix figure is basic pay only. Your in-hand salary adds DA, HRA and TA on top, so it is meaningfully higher than the basic.
- You move one cell down your level each year (around a 3% increment, effective 1 July), and you move across to a higher level on promotion.
When a government notification lists a post's salary as "Level 7" or "Pay Level 10," it is pointing to a single number that defines your starting pay and your whole increment path. That number comes from the 7th Pay Commission Pay Matrix. Understanding how the matrix works — what a Pay Level is, how the levels are spaced, and why the figure shown is not your take-home — lets you read any government salary correctly. This guide walks through it from Level 1 to Level 18.
What the Pay Matrix is
Before 2016, central pay was a confusing mix of pay bands and grade pays. The 7th Pay Commission, effective 1 January 2016, replaced all of it with a single, readable grid: the Pay Matrix.
Think of it as a table:
- Each column is a Pay Level (1 to 18). The level reflects the rank and responsibility of the post.
- Each row down a column is one year's increment. As you serve, you step down your column, and your basic pay rises about 3% each step.
So your Pay Level fixes where you start, and the cells below it map out how your basic pay grows over your career — clean and predictable.
Starting basic pay, Level 1 to 18
Here is the entry (first-cell) basic pay for each Pay Level under the 7th CPC matrix:
| Pay Level | Starting basic pay | Typically associated with |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | ₹18,000 | MTS / Group-C entry |
| Level 2 | ₹19,900 | LDC / lower clerical (varies) |
| Level 3 | ₹21,700 | Constable / police entry |
| Level 4 | ₹25,500 | LDC / Tax Assistant grade |
| Level 5 | ₹29,200 | Senior clerical / technical |
| Level 6 | ₹35,400 | Sub-Inspector / state Group B |
| Level 7 | ₹44,900 | SSC CGL Inspector-grade posts |
| Level 8 | ₹47,600 | Assistant Audit Officer / ASO |
| Level 9 | ₹53,100 | Senior supervisory posts |
| Level 10 | ₹56,100 | IAS / IPS / Group A entry |
| Level 11 | ₹67,700 | Senior Group A |
| Level 12 | ₹78,800 | Junior Administrative Grade |
| Level 13 | ₹1,23,100 | Selection Grade |
| Level 14 | ₹1,44,200 | Senior Administrative Grade |
| Level 15 | ₹1,82,200 | Higher Administrative Grade |
| Level 16 | ₹2,05,400 | HAG+ |
| Level 17 | ₹2,25,000 (fixed) | Apex Scale / Secretary |
| Level 18 | ₹2,50,000 (fixed) | Cabinet Secretary |
Two notes. First, the post-to-level mapping is "typical, not absolute" — a given post's level depends on its cadre and recruitment rules, so treat the right-hand column as a guide. Second, Levels 17 and 18 are fixed single figures (no increment cells), because they are the top apex posts. (There is also a less commonly cited Level 13A at ₹1,31,100, used mainly in defence and some civil cadres.)
Grade Pay vs Pay Level — what changed
If you trained on older material, you will have seen "Grade Pay ₹1,800" or "Grade Pay ₹4,200." That was the 6th CPC system, where your salary was a Pay Band + Grade Pay, and the grade pay signalled your seniority. It was confusing because several grade pays sat inside one pay band.
The 7th CPC abolished grade pay and folded each one into a single Pay Level:
- Grade Pay ₹1,800 → Level 1
- Grade Pay ₹4,200 → Level 6
- Grade Pay ₹5,400 → Level 10, and so on.
So when an older candidate talks about "Grade Pay 4200" and a newer one says "Level 6," they mean the same post. The Pay Level is simply the modern, cleaner label.
The fitment factor 2.57
How did the commission arrive at ₹18,000 for Level 1? Through the fitment factor of 2.57 — a single multiplier applied uniformly to every employee's existing 6th-CPC basic pay:
New basic pay ≈ old basic pay × 2.57, rounded up to the nearest cell in the matrix.
This factor is why the 8th Pay Commission is so closely watched — the new fitment factor will decide the next across-the-board raise. We cover the estimates and timeline in our 8th Pay Commission explainer.
Why the matrix figure is not your take-home
This is the most important practical point: the pay-matrix number is basic pay only. Your actual in-hand salary is built on top of it:
- + Dearness Allowance (DA) — a percentage of basic that rises with inflation, currently around 60% (and revised twice a year). See our Dearness Allowance explainer.
- + House Rent Allowance (HRA) — 24% / 16% / 8% of basic depending on city class.
- + Transport Allowance (TA) and other post-specific allowances.
- − deductions such as NPS contribution.
Because DA changes every six months and HRA depends on your city, there is no single in-hand figure — which is exactly why salary tables quote the basic. To see how basic, DA and allowances combine into real pay for specific posts, read our breakdowns of SSC CGL salary by post and bank PO salary.
How you move up
There are two kinds of movement:
- Annual increment: each 1 July, you move one cell down your column, raising basic by roughly 3%. This happens automatically with service.
- Promotion: you move across to a higher Pay Level, jumping to that level's pay path.
So a career is a combination of steady annual increments within a level and bigger jumps across levels on promotion.
Why this matters before you apply
Reading a post's Pay Level tells you, at a glance, its rank and its pay trajectory — far more than a single "salary" figure does. It also lets you compare offers honestly: a "Level 7" post and a "Level 6" post differ in both starting pay and growth. The Pay Level also maps directly onto the Group A/B/C/D classification and to whether a post is gazetted. To browse openings by level and department, start at the jobs board.
Pay Matrix and Pay Level: हिंदी सारांश
2016 से केंद्र सरकार का वेतन 7वें वेतन आयोग के Pay Matrix पर आधारित है — 18 Pay Levels का एक ग्रिड। आपका Pay Level आपका शुरुआती मूल वेतन (basic pay) तय करता है — Level 1 = ₹18,000 से Level 18 = ₹2,50,000 तक। पुराना Grade Pay सिस्टम हटा दिया गया; हर grade pay को एक Pay Level में बदला गया (जैसे GP 1800 = Level 1, GP 5400 = Level 10)। नया वेतन fitment factor 2.57 से बना (पुराना basic × 2.57)। ध्यान दें: Matrix में दिखा आँकड़ा सिर्फ basic है — असली in-hand वेतन में DA, HRA, TA जुड़ते हैं। हर साल 1 जुलाई को एक सेल नीचे (~3% वृद्धि), और पदोन्नति पर ऊँचे Level पर जाते हैं। IAS/IPS की शुरुआत Level 10 (₹56,100) से होती है।