Government Salary Calculator — What You Actually Take Home
The figure printed in a recruitment notification is basic pay, and nobody receives that as salary. What lands in your account is basic plus dearness allowance, house rent allowance and transport allowance, less NPS and health contributions.
Pick your pay level and posting city below.
| Basic pay | |
|---|---|
| Dearness allowance | |
| House rent allowance | |
| Transport allowance (incl. DA on TA) | |
| Gross monthly | |
| Less: NPS contribution (10%) | |
| Less: CGHS | |
| Approximate in hand |
How each component works
| Component | How it is calculated |
|---|---|
| Basic pay | The entry cell of your pay level in the 7th CPC matrix |
| Dearness allowance | A percentage of basic pay, revised twice a year. Currently 60%, raised from 58% with effect from 1 January 2026 |
| House rent allowance | 27% of basic in X cities, 18% in Y, 9% in Z |
| Transport allowance | A fixed slab by level and city, with DA payable on top of it |
| NPS deduction | 10% of basic plus DA, matched by a government contribution |
| CGHS deduction | A fixed monthly amount that rises with pay level |
City category matters more than most candidates expect. HRA falls from 27% of basic to 9% between an X-city and a Z-town posting. At Level 7 that is a gap of roughly ₹8,000 every month for identical work. In all-India-transfer services you do not choose which you get.
What this does not include
- Department-specific allowances — Railway running allowance, CAPF field allowances, Special Duty Allowance in some regions.
- Income tax, which depends on your total income, regime and declared investments.
- Professional tax, levied by some states.
- Increments. Basic pay rises about 3% each year, so your second-year figure is higher than the entry figure shown here.
Treat the result as a close estimate of first-year take-home, not a payslip.
Why there is no 8th Pay Commission option
Because nothing has been decided. The Commission was constituted on 3 November 2025 with eighteen months to report, and the government confirmed in Parliament in August 2026 that neither the implementation date nor the fitment factor is finalised.
Every "8th CPC salary calculator" circulating online is multiplying by a guessed fitment factor. Ours does not, because we would be inventing the input. See what is actually confirmed.
One thing worth understanding for when it does arrive: a pay revision resets DA to zero on the new basic. The jump in basic pay is therefore never the same as the jump in take-home. That is why the calculator offers a 0% DA option.
Questions
Is this my exact salary?
No. It is a close estimate of first-year take-home, before income tax and without department-specific allowances. Your actual payslip will differ.
Which city category am I in?
X covers the eight largest metros. Y covers most state capitals and larger cities. Z covers everywhere else. Your department confirms it on posting.
What is the current DA?
60% of basic pay, effective 1 January 2026. It is revised twice a year, so check the current rate before relying on a calculation.
Why is NPS deducted?
All central government employees who joined after 1 January 2004 are covered by the National Pension System. You contribute 10% of basic plus DA and the government contributes alongside it.
Does this work for state government jobs?
Only roughly. States run their own pay matrices and DA rates, which often differ from the central figures used here.
Method. Built on 7th Pay Commission entry pay by level, HRA at 27/18/9 per cent, transport allowance slabs with DA payable on them, NPS at 10 per cent of basic plus DA, and CGHS by level. Dearness allowance is set at the current 60 per cent.
DA changes twice a year. If the rate has moved since this page was updated, tell us and we will change the default.