IAS Officer Salary and Perks in 2025: Updated Pay Scale and Benefits
IAS is a dream for many. It is widely viewed as one of the most respected and prestigious positions in India. Every year, with strong dedication and hard work, many aspirants attend the UPSC examination. But, only a fraction of candidates who appear can clear this extremely challenging test. An IAS officer, a position with numerous privileges and benefits, continues to attract candidates year after year.
If you are an aspirant or someone simply curious about the IAS officer salary structure, this article can be of great help. Here, we explore the IAS officer salary structure, along with the additional perks and benefits they receive.
Selection Process For IAS Officer
To become IAS officer, a candidate will have to go through a demanding screening process which is divided into three stages. Every year, the UPSC IAS Exam is conducted to recruit the most deserving candidates to the Indian civil services. It is perceived as one of the toughest exams to clear in India.
The selection process of an IAS officer, as defined by UPSC, includes three important steps, which are as follows;
Preliminary examination or Prelims: This is the first stage of the screening process. It is an objective type of examination.
Main Examination or Mains: It is a descriptive or subjective type of examination attended by the candidates who clear the initial round.
Personality Interview: The candidates are required to attend a panel interview conducted by the UPSC board.
Only the candidates who surpass these three stages are selected for the Grade A government jobs. The candidates who achieve the highest ranks in these screening rounds are awarded the prestigious position of IAS officer. Once selected, candidates will receive a lucrative IAS Officer salary per month, which will also include various perks and benefits.
Career Path of an IAS Officer
The career path of IAS Officer begins as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) or Assistant Collector. As they gain experience, their position advances into District Collector or District Magistrate (DM). Senior IAS Officers occupy positions like Divisional Commissioner, Secretary of a Department, or even Chief Secretary of a state. And at the Central level, they are also capable of becoming a Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary or Secretary to the Government of India.
IAS Officer Salary Structure
The IAS officer salary structure is based on the 7th Pay Commission. The initial salary scale of an IAS officer with experience of 0-4 years in the field is around Rs. 56,000 on a monthly basis. This can increase over the years with experience and promotions.
(Salary source: Glassdoor)
The breakdown of the IAS officer salary as per pay levels:
Pay Level | Basic Pay | Typical Rank | Years Of Service |
Level 10 | Rs 56,000 | Junior Scale (SDM) | 0-4 years |
Level 11 | Rs 67,700 | Senior Scale (ADM) | 5-9 years |
Level 12 | Rs 78,800 | Junior Administrative Grade (Deputy Secretary) | 9-14 years |
Level 13 | 1,18,500 | Selection Grade (Director) | 14-20 years |
Level 14 | Rs 1,44,200 | Super Time Scale (Joint Secretary) | 20-25 years |
Level 15 | Rs 1,82,200 | Super Time Scale (Additional Secretary) | 25-30 years |
Level 17 | Rs 2,25,000 | Secretary | 30-35 years |
Level 18 | Rs 2,50,000 | Cabinet Secretary | 35+ years |
Salary Source: 7th Central Pay Commission Matrix, Government of India.
Perks And Benefits Of Being An IAS Officer
Being an IAS officer grants numerous additional benefits beyond salary. This position gives added financial security and elevated social status, which is the primary element that attracts candidates. Some of the additional benefits an IAS officer receives include;
Housing Facility: An IAS officer is provided with residences with added facilities like maids, cooks and security guards. They can reside in government-provided accommodation with little to no rent requirements.
Transport: They are provided with transportation facilities for official purposes.
Security Personnel: As a high-ranking officer, they receive personal security guards.
Utility Bill: They can receive subsidised electricity, gas and water bills
Pension: IAS officers receive a lifetime pension and other benefits after retirement.
Conclusion
IAS officer is a dream position for many candidates who aim for a stable and respectable career. With many supplementary benefits like pensions, healthcare, and housing allowances, the IAS Officer salary in India enables candidates to experience enhanced social security and advantages. With proper preparation and motivation, you can also attain this esteemed position and enjoy lifelong stability and privileges.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The full form of IAS is Indian Administrative Service.
The IAS officer salary of an entry level officer is around Rs. 56,000 per month. This can increase over the years with experience and promotions.
The highest ranked IAS officer is the Cabinet Secretary of India. The basic pay for this high rank officer is Rs 2,50,000 per month according to the Indian Administrative Service (Pay) Rules, 2016.
According to the Indian Administrative Service (Pay) Rules (2016) IAS officer salary and IPS officer salary have a similar structure with a basic salary of Rs. 56,100 per month.
According to Fundamental Rules (FR) 56(a) the retirement age of an IAS officer is 60 years.
Questions related to
On Question asked by student community
Hello aspirant,
I hope all is well with you. Nothing less than a degree qualifies you to take the UPSC civil services test or the IAS exam. Therefore, it is irrelevant if you choose PCB or PCM in your 12th year or seek a degree in the arts, sciences, business, engineering, or medical. The only thing required is graduation.
So I would suggest you do your graduation first and also prepare for UPSC exam along with your graduation.
Thank you
Hope this information helps you.
Hi
Actually, it's too early to start your preparation for UPSC now that you are in class 11 th only. Your focus right now should getting good score in 10+2 and then getting admission in a good college for your graduation.
I would suggest you to start your preparation for UPSC after 12th along with your graduation following the below tips:-
-----------------------------------) To start your preparation first of all understand the examination pattern and go well through syllabus :-
>>>> Examination pattern :- UPSC examination has 3 stages listed below :-
-
prelims exam
-
Mains exam.
-
Interview
PRELIMS EXAMINATION PATTERN:-
|
******* Number of papers |
GS 1: Based on :-
|
|
GS 2: Based on :-
|
|
|
******* Language of paper |
English |
|
Hindi |
|
|
******* Duration of exam |
4 hours i. e 2 hours for each paper |
|
******* Number of questions |
|
|
******* Maximum marks |
400 (200 each) |
|
******* Qualifying marks |
33% for Paper 2
††† Prelims is just qualifying in nature, considered for final merit list. |
MAINS EXAMINATION PATTERN
|
******* Number of papers |
9 |
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******* Language of question paper |
English |
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Hindi |
|
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For language paper you can choose any one of the 22 languages mentioned 8 th schedule of Indian constitution |
|
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******* Duration of exam |
3 hours each |
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******* Subjects |
††† Paper A & B are just qualifying in nature i. e not considered for final merit list |
|
******* Number of questions |
Part A and B: 300 each General studies and optional paper: 250 each |
|
******* Maximum marks |
1750 |
-
To know exam pattern in detail visit :- https://competition.careers360.com/articles/upsc
-
>>>> syllabus :- You can get complete syllabus at:- https://competition.careers360.com/articles/upsc-ias-syllabus
---------------------------------) Top books which you can follow for UPSC examination preparation are listed below subject wise:-
HISTORY
*NCERT XI (Ancient & Medieval)
*NCERT XII (Modern Indian History)
*Facets of Indian Culture Spectrum
*From Plassey to Partition - A History of Modern India
Indian Art & Culture
*Indian Art & Culture - Nitin Singhania
Polity
*NCERT IX-XII
*Indian Polity M Laxmikanth
Geography
*NCERT VI X (Old Syllabus)
*NCERT XI, XII (New Syllabus)
*Certificate Physical Geography G C Leong
World Atlas
Economics
NCERT XI
*The Indian Economy Sanjiv Verma
*Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
*Economic Development & Policies in India Jain & Ohri
Environment
*Class XII Biology (last 5 chapters)
*Environment by Shankar IAS Academy
International Relations
*NCERT XII (Contemporary World Politics)
*Current Affairs ( read newspaper )
To get the complete list of books go through
https://competition.careers360.com/articles/books-for-upsc-ias
-----------------------------------) Discipline is the key to crack UPSC, so you need to make a routine/ time table and follow it .
----------------------------------)Read newspaper like the Hindu or Indian Express and magazines like Yojana, Kurukshetra, Economic and Political Weekly to keep yourself updated with the current events and issues.
----------------------------------) take short breaks in between your studies, studying continuously can be brain tiring and it becomes difficult to focus and study with concentration, so take breaks to relax and refresh your brain otherwise you won't be able to retain whatever you read.
-----------------------------------)Choose your optional subject wisely , choose the subject you have interest in.
----------------------------------)Make short notes for each subject, these will be your life saviour and will help you in your revisions a lot as syllabus is wide
----------------------------------)Set daily goals like I have to cover these many topics today, weekly goals like I have to cover these chapters this week and practice their questions too, by the end of this week and similarly set monthly goals to cover the syllabus and meet them without any fail.
----------------------------------)Revise :- there's no point of preparing for the exam if you couldn't recall anything in the UPSC Examination so you should stress on revision as well.
----------------------------------) Your mains examination is in written, so you need to work your speed and also work on improving how to present the knowledge you have on paper, so answer writing practicing should be your priority
----------------------------------)Solve previous year question papers and mock test papers ;- You should solve these , it will give you idea of types of questions asked and their difficulty level and will help you a lot.
----------------------------------)Also work on your communication skills and personality development as it plays an important role in your interview round.
For more tips go through
https://competition.careers360.com/articles/how-prepare-for-upsc-ias
Still, If you want to start your preparation from 11th itself then what you can do is cover the class 6 to 12th ncert books of social science to build a good foundation for UPSC preparation and start your full fledged preparation for upsc from graduation following above mentioned tips.
Thankyou
Yes, you can definitely complete your masters of surgeon degree after NDA. To become an IAS officer you will have to clear your UPSC exams. You should fall under age 32 category to be eligible to give UPSC exams and in some cases the upper age limit could be 35 or 37.
Hello,
Candidate who has a Bachelor's degree (BA, B.Com, B.Sc, BBA, BCA, B.Tech etc.) with at least one of the subjects namely Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics and Zoology or a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Forestry or in Engineering from recognised university is eligible to give UPSC IAS exam. Candidates between the age group of 21 to 32 years with a graduation degree are eligible to apply for the UPSC IAS exam. Union Public Service Commission will release the UPSC IAS 2023 eligibility criteria in its official IAS 2023 notification.
Hi
You can become an IAS Officer by clearing the civil services examination conducted by UPSC every year.
There are 3 rounds in the exam
- Prelims
- Mains
- Personality test
Once you passes the intermediate level or class 12th, decide your area of interest in terms of optional subject. Go through the List of Optional Subjects for UPSC, and pursue your graduation in that subject.To appear for the exam, the candidate must have a Bachelor's degree from a recognized university. Also candidates who are in their final year and waiting for the final results are also eligible.