Indian Army Salary Overview
The Indian Army is the biggest and one of the most powerful militaries in the world. One of the most well-known jobs in India is that of army officers. Due to the organisation's reputation, all rank personnel are given the utmost respect. The Indian Army's members are paid differently depending on their rank. The Indian armed forces comprise of three professionally uniformed forces- the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force.
Indian Army Salary 2023 Basic Pay and Grade Pay
Any organisation, including the Indian Army, uses the words "basic pay" and "grade pay" to describe the salary structure. Therefore, understanding the distinction between the two phrases is crucial.
Indian Army Basic Pay:
It is the starting income of any officer based on his/her designation. It generally includes 35-50% of the total salary, excluding any bonuses, allowances, or deductions. It is a fixed amount.
Indian Army Grade Pay:
Any government employee's grade pay is determined by their class, category, and pay band. It is computed in accordance with the 7th Pay Commission standards that are relevant to the officer's position.Thus, the Indian army provides officers with satisfactory salary packages and also provides extra perks.
Indian Army Salary Rank wise: After 7th Pay Commission
The 7th Pay Commission's recommendations affect the organisation, rank structure, pay, allowances and pension, of 13,86,171 armed forces personnel. This helps in creating a salary monitoring system designed to determine and suggest needed changes to the salaries of government employees. The existing structure of band pay and grade pay has been replaced with a new pay matrix to determine the salaries of employees. This has been done to bring more transparency and uniformity in pay progression. This new system takes into account the hierarchy level of employees, and their pay progression during the course of employment. Separate matrices have been drawn for civilians, defence and military nursing service personnel.
The minimum salary has been increased 2.57 times to INR 18,000 per month, and the maximum 2.78 times to INR 2,50,000 per month.
Rank and Pay Level |
Salary (After 7th Pay Commission) |
Chief of Army Staff Salary (Level 18) |
INR 2,50,000 (Fixed) |
VCOAS/ Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NEGS) Salary (Level 17) |
INR 2,25,000 (Fixed) |
Indian Army Lieutenant General Salary (level 15) |
INR 1,82,200- INR 2,24,100 |
Indian Army Major General Salary (level 14) |
INR 1,44,200- INR 2,18,200 |
Indian Army Brigadier Salary (level 13 A) |
INR 1,39,600- INR 2,17,600 |
Indian Army Colonel Salary (level 13) |
INR 1,30,600- INR 2,15,900 |
Indian Army Lieutenant Colonel Salary (level 12) |
INR 1,21,200- INR 2,12,400 |
Indian Army Major Salary (level 11) |
INR 69,400- INR 2,07,200 |
Indian Army Captain Salary (level 10 B) |
INR 61,300- INR 1,93,900 |
Indian Army Lieutenant Salary (level 10) |
INR 56,100- INR 1,77,500 |
Indian Army Subedar Major Salary (level 8) |
INR 36,800 - INR 68,000 |
Indian Army Subedar Salary (level 7) |
INR 35,800 - INR 65,000 |
Indian Army Naib Subedar Salary (level 6) |
INR 34,800 -INR 64,000 |
Indian Army Havaldar Salary (level 5) |
INR 32,000 - INR 58,000 |
Indian Army Naik Salary (level 4) |
INR 20,200 |
Indian Army Lance Naik Salary (level 3) |
INR 20,200 |
Indian Army Sepoy Salary (level 3) |
INR 20,200 |
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Indian Army Salary Budget
The Indian Army accounts for more than half of the total defence budget of India, with most of the expenditure going to the maintenance of cantonments, salaries and pensions, instead of critical arms and ammunition. Only the US and China spent more on their militaries globally in 2020 than India. The US accounted for 39% of the money spent on military globally, China for 13%, and India for 3.7% of the global share.
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Indian Army Salary Allowances
The Indian Army employees receive compensation for various activities that need expenditure, called an extra allowance. Apart from HRA and transportation facilities, there are various extra allowances and perks given to Army Personnel, which are listed below:
- Counterinsurgency: INR 6,300
- Kit Maintenance Allowances: INR 400 per month
- Field Area Allowances: 25% of Basic pay
- Parachute Pay: INR 1,200
- High Altitude Allowances: INR 5,600
- Siachen: INR 14,000
- Transport Allowances: INR 1,600- 3,200
- Special Forces: INR 9,000 per month
- Flying Pay. INR 9,000
- Casual Leave of 20 Days
- Encash of Leave up to 300 Days of Last Pay Drawn
Other Indian Army Perks
In addition to these allowances, an Indian Army personnel enjoys various other benefits like:
1. Air/ Rail Travel Concession
(Official ID card is issued to the serving personnel and dependent card issued to the family members. A discount of around 50% of Basic fare is applied on select classes in any sector within India. It is valid upto 1 year from date of issue)
2. Free Hospital Facilities
3. Low-Interest Loans
4. Canteen Facilities, Rations, etc.
Whether it is availing medical facilities or social interaction, the Indian Army provides the best of all. The salary of the army officers and pay scale also depends on the duration of service, location, etc.