Earn without capitalGovernment scheme workChecked Oct 2026

Anganwadi Worker and Helper

आंगनवाड़ी कार्यकर्ता और सहायिका · अंगणवाडी सेविका आणि मदतनीस

Running the neighbourhood Anganwadi centre for young children and mothers: pre-school, hot meals, weighing and records. A fixed monthly honorarium from the centre and the state, but not a government job.

For womenNot yet confirmed with people doing this work

The short answer

The steadiest of the village-level options for women: a fixed place, fixed morning hours and a fixed monthly amount close to home. The central honorarium is low and has not changed since 2018, so what the work is worth depends almost entirely on your state's addition. Find out that figure before you apply.

Money to start: None
Education: 10th pass
Vehicle: Not needed
Skill: Learnt on the job

An Anganwadi centre serves children under six, pregnant women and nursing mothers in one village or ward. The worker runs pre-school activities, supervises the hot cooked meal and take-home ration, weighs children and records their growth, keeps registers and now enters data on a phone app, and works with the ASHA and the nurse on vaccination and health days. The helper cooks, cleans, fetches the children and assists the worker. Both are 'honorary workers' under the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme. They are paid an honorarium shared by the central and state governments, not a salary. The centre usually runs in the morning, but surveys, election duty and other government work are often added.

What you need

Age 18 or above.
You must be a woman living in the village or ward that the centre serves.
Education and age limits are set in each state's or district's notice. Many recent notices ask for Class 12 for the worker and a lower qualification for the helper: check yours.
Residence proof, education certificates, Aadhaar and a bank account.
Selection is usually on marks and stated preferences (for example widows), through the district's Women and Child Development office.

How the money works

The honorarium is paid monthly into your bank account. The central government fixes its share for the whole country, and each state adds its own amount, which in many states is larger than the central share. There are small performance-linked incentives on top.

Half of Anganwadi worker posts are to be filled by promoting helpers with five years of service, and half of Supervisor posts by promoting workers with five years, subject to other conditions.
Payments are sometimes delayed, and workers in several states have gone on strike over the amount.
Ask what is paid on retirement or on leaving, and which insurance schemes cover you. These differ by state.

What people actually take home

We do not estimate earnings ourselves. Each line below is someone else's figure, with who said it and when.

The central honorarium, last revised on 1 October 2018, is ₹4,500 a month for a worker at a main Anganwadi centre, ₹3,500 at a mini centre and ₹2,250 for a helper. Performance-linked incentives are ₹500 a month for workers and ₹250 for helpers.
Government or regulatorParliament replies of 2023 and 2024 · Lok Sabha unstarred question on honorarium of Anganwadi workers and helpers
The government told Parliament that no proposal to raise the central honorarium was under consideration. States pay additional amounts that vary widely: Jammu and Kashmir, for example, adds ₹600 a month for workers and ₹300 for helpers.
Government or regulator2024–25 · Kashmir Life: Centre's reply on Anganwadi top-ups

What we could not find

The current state addition for Maharashtra and most other states, from an official source we could read.
The national eligibility rule in the scheme guidelines. District notices differ on education and age.
Retirement and insurance benefits state by state.

Ask before you start	Where to ask
What is the total monthly honorarium in this state for a worker and for a helper, including the state's share?	The Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) at the block or project office, or a serving Anganwadi worker
Is there a vacancy for my village or ward, and what education and age does the notice ask for?	The CDPO office or the district Women and Child Development website
What is paid on retirement, and at what age?	The CDPO office

Is it legal where you live?

All India
Anganwadi workers and helpers are honorary workers under a central scheme run by the states. They are not government employees and have no pay scale. Recruitment rules, age limits and the state's share of the honorarium are fixed by state orders.
As of Oct 2026

How to start

Visit the CDPO office for your block, or your district's Women and Child Development website, and ask about vacancies for your own village or ward.
Read the notice for the education, age and residence conditions and the last date.
Apply with your certificates, residence proof, Aadhaar and bank details. There should be no fee beyond what the notice states.
Check the merit list and attend document verification.
After joining, complete the induction training, and keep copies of your appointment order and every honorarium credit.

What is good about it

A fixed centre within your own village or ward, mainly in morning hours.
A fixed monthly amount, unlike task-based work.
A promotion route from helper to worker to Supervisor.
Useful and respected work with children and mothers.

What is hard about it

Not a government job, and the central honorarium has been unchanged since 2018.
In states with a small top-up, the total is well below a minimum wage.
Heavy record-keeping on registers and on the phone app, and extra duties such as surveys.
Posts are tied to one village or ward, so vacancies near you are rare.
Payments can be late.

Traps to avoid

Agents who promise selection for money. Selection is by merit list from the district office.
Websites that collect a fee for 'Anganwadi online application'. Apply only through the district or state Women and Child Development site named in the official notice.

Where this can lead

Questions people ask

What is the salary of an Anganwadi worker?+

It is an honorarium, not a salary. The central share is ₹4,500 a month for a worker, ₹3,500 at a mini centre and ₹2,250 for a helper. Each state adds its own amount, so ask the CDPO office for the current total in your state.

Is an Anganwadi worker a government employee?+

No. Workers and helpers are honorary workers under a government scheme. They do not have a pay scale or the service benefits of government staff.

Can an Anganwadi helper become a worker?+

Yes. Under the current scheme guidelines half of worker posts are to be filled from helpers with five years of service, subject to the education and other conditions in your state.

Sources

Pay rates, fees and rules change often and differ by city. Confirm them with the company or the regulator before you commit money or leave other work.

Compare with

ASHA Worker (Accredited Social Health Activist)

आशा कार्यकर्ता · आशा स्वयंसेविका

Government scheme work

A woman from the village or basti who links families to the health system: pregnancies, newborns, vaccination, TB and more. Paid per task plus a small fixed amount, not a salary.

Money to start

None

Education

10th pass

Vehicle

Not needed

Bank Sakhi and BC Sakhi (banking agent from a self-help group)

बैंक सखी / बीसी सखी · बँक सखी