Government jobPay Level 7Group BNon‑gazetted
Preventive Officer (Customs)
निवारक अधिकारी (सीमा शुल्क)
Uniformed Pay Level 7 Customs post via SSC CGL — passenger clearance, cargo checks and anti-smuggling at ports and airports.
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) — Customs · Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) · central government
In-hand pay at joining, per month
₹72,000–₹84,000
Lower in small towns, higher in metros. Work out your own city below.
- Exam
- SSC CGL
- Qualification
- Graduate
- Age limit
- 18–30 years
- Transfers
- Within your allotted zone/region
- Work hours
- Rotating shifts including nights, weekends and holidays
- Probation
- 2 years
Estimated in-hand / month
₹76,316
Gross ₹83,700 · CTC ≈ ₹11.3 lakh/yr
Where are you posted?
Preventive Officer (Customs) · rates as of January 2026 (DA 60%). Excludes CGHS, GPF/insurance deductions and special allowances. Estimate only.
New to pay slips? Read how in-hand salary is worked out.
What you will actually do
- Clearing international passengers and their baggage at airports
- Rummaging (searching) ships and aircraft and supervising loading and unloading of cargo
- Guarding against smuggling of gold, narcotics, currency and prohibited goods
- Escorting and sealing containers and supervising customs-bonded areas
- Collecting intelligence and joining seizure and arrest operations
- Writing seizure reports (panchnamas) and assisting in follow-up investigation
A typical day
Work runs in shifts because ports and airports never close. An airport shift means standing at the green and red channels, profiling passengers, checking baggage and writing up any seizure, which can add hours after the shift ends. At a seaport you may spend the shift on a vessel, at a container freight station or at a gate checking documents against cargo. Quiet shifts are routine paperwork; a seizure night is long and tiring.
Promotion path
Timelines are ranges and vary by cadre. See how promotions and MACP work.
Preventive Officer (Customs) (joining)
Pay Level 7
₹72,000–₹84,000 in-hand
Superintendent of Customs (Preventive)
10–18 years, depends on the zone · Level 8 · via dpc
₹76,000–₹88,000 in-hand
Assistant Commissioner of Customs
Further 10–15 years · Level 10 · via dpc
₹92,000–₹1,02,000 in-hand
Promotion timelines vary by cadre and vacancies. If not promoted, MACP gives a pay upgrade after 10, 20 and 30 years.
How to get in
Staff Selection Commission
- 1.Tier-I computer-based test
- 2.Tier-II computer-based test (including computer knowledge module)
- 3.Physical standards and physical test check by the department
- 4.Document verification
Eligibility: Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Age 18–30. SC/ST: 5 years, OBC: 3 years, PwBD: 10 years (more for SC/ST/OBC PwBD), as per the notification.
Physical standards: Men: height 157.5 cm, chest 81 cm (expanded), walk 1,600 m in 15 minutes and cycle 8 km in 30 minutes. Women: height 152 cm, weight 48 kg, walk 1 km in 20 minutes and cycle 3 km in 25 minutes. Relaxations apply for some categories; check the notification.
The good
- Level 7 pay with a uniformed, operational role
- Postings in big port cities and airports
- Reward scheme for seizures
The hard parts
- Night shifts and work on festivals are part of the job
- Very few zones, so a home posting is unlikely for most candidates
- Seizure and arrest work brings legal follow-up and court appearances
Postings
Vacancies are in Customs zones such as Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kochi, Goa and Visakhapatnam, so postings are mainly in coastal cities and at international airports. You normally stay in the allotted zone and rotate between airport, docks and preventive units.
Questions people ask
What is the in-hand salary of Preventive Officer (Customs)?+
Preventive Officer (Customs) is a Pay Level 7 post with a starting basic pay of ₹44,900. At current rates (DA 60%, January 2026), the starting in-hand salary is roughly ₹72,000–₹84,000 a month, depending on whether you are posted in a Z, Y or X class city.
What is the qualification and age limit for Preventive Officer (Customs)?+
Bachelor's degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Age: 18–30 years. Relaxation: SC/ST: 5 years, OBC: 3 years, PwBD: 10 years (more for SC/ST/OBC PwBD), as per the notification.
Which exam do I need to clear for Preventive Officer (Customs)?+
SSC CGL (Staff Selection Commission).
Is Preventive Officer better than GST Inspector?+
Pay is the same. Preventive Officer is shift-based and operational in a few coastal cities; GST Inspector is mostly office hours with far more zones to choose from.
Do Preventive Officers carry weapons?+
Officers in preventive and anti-smuggling units can be issued arms and receive weapons training, but most airport and docks duty is done unarmed.
Compare with similar posts
Examiner (Customs)
परीक्षक (सीमा शुल्क)
Pay Level 7 Customs post via SSC CGL — physically examining import and export cargo and checking it against the declaration.
Inspector (Central Excise / CGST)
निरीक्षक (केंद्रीय उत्पाद शुल्क / सीजीएसटी)
Pay Level 7 post in CBIC via SSC CGL — GST audit, anti-evasion and compliance work in a central GST zone.
Inspector (Central Bureau of Narcotics)
निरीक्षक (केंद्रीय नारकोटिक्स ब्यूरो)
Pay Level 7 post in the Central Bureau of Narcotics via SSC CGL — licensing of opium cultivation and narcotics enforcement.
Books to prepare for SSC CGL
- See on Amazon
Quantitative Aptitude for Competitive Examinations
R.S. Aggarwal (S. Chand)
The standard practice book for arithmetic. Strong on volume of questions; weak on shortcuts, so pair it with solved papers.
- See on Amazon
SSC Mathematics Chapterwise Solved Papers
Kiran Prakashan
Thousands of actual SSC questions sorted by topic. The quickest way to see what is really asked.
- See on Amazon
Objective General English
S.P. Bakshi (Arihant)
Grammar rules with exam-style practice sets. Good for error spotting and sentence improvement.
All 7 books for SSC CGL, CPO and other graduate-level exams
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Sources
- SSC CGL 2026 notice (official PDF)
- Staff Selection Commission — official website
- Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
This profile is being reviewed. Confirm details in the latest official notification. Salary computed from pay rules as of January 2026.