SSC Salary: Pay Level, Allowances & In-Hand Salary
25 Sep 2026
- Salary
Quick answer
A detailed breakdown of SSC salary under the 7th CPC pay matrix — pay levels for MTS, CHSL, Stenographer, CGL and JE posts, how DA, HRA and Transport Allowance are calculated, and worked gross-salary examples at every level.
SSC posts are central government Group B and C roles, paid on the standard 7th CPC pay matrix — the same DA and HRA mechanics used across Railways and central government teaching posts, without any post-specific special allowance layered in. This page is the detailed salary reference; individual exam guides link back here rather than repeating the calculation. The posts these levels pay for are set out in the SSC CGL guide, the SSC CPO guide and the SSC JE guide.
See SSC and clerical vacancies open now.
Pay Level by Post
| Exam | Post (example) | Pay Level | Starting Basic Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSC MTS | Multi-Tasking Staff | Level 1 | ₹18,000 |
| SSC CHSL | LDC / JSA | Level 2 | ₹19,900 |
| SSC Stenographer Grade D | Stenographer | Level 2 | ₹19,900 |
| SSC CHSL | DEO | Level 4 | ₹25,500 |
| SSC CHSL | DEO Grade 'A' | Level 5 | ₹29,200 |
| SSC Stenographer Grade C | Stenographer | Level 4 | ₹25,500 |
| SSC CGL | Tax Assistant | Level 4 | ₹25,500 |
| SSC CGL | Auditor, Accountant | Level 5 | ₹29,200 |
| SSC CPO / SSC JE | Sub-Inspector, Junior Engineer | Level 6 | ₹35,400 |
| SSC CGL | Inspector-grade (Income Tax Inspector, GST/Central Excise Inspector, ASO, and similar) | Level 7 | ₹44,900 |
| SSC CGL | Assistant Audit Officer (highest common entry) | Level 8 | ₹47,600 |
How the Calculation Works
Same 7th CPC mechanics as other central government posts: DA is revised twice yearly (January, July), calculated on basic pay alone, currently 60% (effective January 2026). HRA is city-classified — 30% (X-category), 20% (Y-category), 10% (Z-category) of basic pay. Transport Allowance is a fixed amount that itself draws DA, banded by pay level: ₹1,350 + DA for Levels 1–2, and ₹3,600 + DA for Levels 3–8, in the cities on the Department of Expenditure's higher-Transport-Allowance list — ₹900 and ₹1,800 + DA respectively elsewhere. (Levels 1–2 drawing basic pay of ₹24,200 or more get the Level 3–8 rate.) That list is not the same as the HRA X-category list.
Gross Salary = Basic Pay + DA + HRA + Transport Allowance
Illustrative Gross Salary by Level (X-City Posting, Current DA Rate)
| Pay Level | Basic Pay | DA (60%) | HRA (30%) | Transport Allowance | Approx. Gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (MTS) | ₹18,000 | ₹10,800 | ₹5,400 | ₹2,160 | ≈ ₹36,360 |
| 2 (CHSL-LDC/JSA, Steno-D) | ₹19,900 | ₹11,940 | ₹5,970 | ₹2,160 | ≈ ₹39,970 |
| 4 (CHSL-DEO, Steno-C, CGL-Tax Asst) | ₹25,500 | ₹15,300 | ₹7,650 | ₹5,760 | ≈ ₹54,210 |
| 5 (CGL-Auditor) | ₹29,200 | ₹17,520 | ₹8,760 | ₹5,760 | ≈ ₹61,240 |
| 6 (CPO-SI/SSC JE) | ₹35,400 | ₹21,240 | ₹10,620 | ₹5,760 | ≈ ₹73,020 |
| 7 (CGL-Inspector grade) | ₹44,900 | ₹26,940 | ₹13,470 | ₹5,760 | ≈ ₹91,070 |
| 8 (CGL-AAO) | ₹47,600 | ₹28,560 | ₹14,280 | ₹5,760 | ≈ ₹96,200 |
These are gross figures at starting basic pay for a major-city (X-category) posting — Y/Z city postings show a lower HRA line, and in-hand pay after deductions is lower than gross by roughly 8–9% at these levels — NPS at 10% of basic-plus-DA, plus CGHS and CGEGIS, with little or no income tax under the default new regime.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the starting salary for SSC MTS?
Approximate gross salary is ₹35,160 a month at the current DA rate, based on a starting basic pay of ₹18,000 (Pay Level 1).
What is the starting salary for SSC CGL?
It depends on the specific post — Pay Level 4 (Tax Assistant, ≈₹49,410 gross) through Level 8 (Assistant Audit Officer, ≈₹93,000 gross), with Inspector-grade posts (Income Tax Inspector and similar) at Level 7 (≈₹87,870 gross) in between.
Does SSC pay differ by department?
No — pay level and the DA/HRA/TA formula are standardised by Pay Level across departments; what differs by department is the specific post's Pay Level, not the calculation method.
Why is CGL's starting salary sometimes quoted as one number and sometimes as a range?
Because CGL recruits for many different posts across Pay Levels 4 through 8 — there's no single "CGL salary," only a salary for the specific post you're allotted based on preference and rank.
In Summary
SSC salary follows the standard 7th CPC formula — Basic Pay by Pay Level, DA at 60% (twice-yearly, on basic alone), city-classified HRA, and Transport Allowance — the same mechanics as Railway and central government teaching pay. The real variable across SSC exams isn't the formula, it's which Pay Level your specific post sits at, which ranges from Level 1 (MTS) to Level 8 (SSC CGL's highest common entry post).
Sources
- Pay levels and entry pay: 7th Central Pay Commission report, Pay Matrix