Pay Level 16 salary
Basic pay ₹2,05,400 to ₹2,24,400 (4 stages). In-hand estimates use DA 60% (January 2026).
| Service | Basic | In-hand (Y city) | In-hand (X city) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joining | ₹2,05,400 | ₹2,63,616 | ₹2,81,711 |
| 5 years | ₹2,24,400 | ₹2,84,106 | ₹3,03,507 |
| 10 years | ₹2,24,400 | ₹2,84,106 | ₹3,03,507 |
| 15 years | ₹2,24,400 | ₹2,84,106 | ₹3,03,507 |
| 20 years | ₹2,24,400 | ₹2,84,106 | ₹3,03,507 |
Assumes yearly increments and no promotion or MACP.
Who is at Level 16
Special Secretary-level officers; Director General rank in police and central forces; Principal Chief Commissioners. This is the HAG+ scale.
No general competitive exam recruits directly at this level. You reach it by promotion, most often after entering a Group A service at Level 10 through an exam such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination. The only direct entries are a small number of specialist, medical, scientific and lateral-entry posts that UPSC advertises individually for people who already have experience.
Jobs you can join directly at Level 16
None of the posts profiled here starts at this level.
How people reach Level 16
Promotion steps from the posts profiled on this site. Timelines are typical ranges, not guarantees.