Grade Pay vs Pay Level Comparison

Compare your 6th CPC Grade Pay with the corresponding 7th CPC Pay Level side by side. See exactly how your pay band, basic pay, DA, HRA, and gross salary changed with the 2.57× fitment factor.

2.57×Fitment Factor
+157%Min Pay Rise
Jan 20167th CPC Effective
60% DACurrent Rate

Grade Pay vs Pay Level — Side by Side Comparison

Select any Grade Pay to see a full 6th CPC vs 7th CPC salary comparison with DA, HRA, and gross

Quick Select — Grade Pay
6th CPC Grade Pay
— Select Grade Pay —GP ₹1,800 — PB-1 → Level 1GP ₹1,900 — PB-1 → Level 2GP ₹2,000 — PB-1 → Level 3GP ₹2,400 — PB-1 → Level 4GP ₹2,800 — PB-1 → Level 5GP ₹4,200 — PB-2 → Level 6GP ₹4,600 — PB-2 → Level 7GP ₹4,800 — PB-2 → Level 8GP ₹5,400 PB-2 — Group B → Level 9GP ₹5,400 PB-3 — Group A → Level 10GP ₹6,600 — PB-3 → Level 11GP ₹7,600 — PB-3 → Level 12GP ₹8,700 — PB-4 → Level 13GP ₹8,900 — PB-4 → Level 13AGP ₹10,000 — PB-4 → Level 14
Your 6th CPC Grade Pay from appointment / promotion order
Your 6th CPC Basic Pay (₹)

Pay in Pay Band only — excluding Grade Pay (from Dec 2015 pay slip)
DA Rate (7th CPC)
60% — January 2026 ✅ Current63% — Expected July 2026 🔮58% — July 202555% — January 2025
City Class (HRA)
X Class Metro — 30% HRAY Class City — 20% HRAZ Class / Other — 10% HRA

6th CPC
GP —
Pay Band —
Basic —
→
7th CPC
Level —
Grade Pay —
Entry Basic —
⚡ Compare Full Salary — 6th vs 7th CPC

⚖️ 6th CPC vs 7th CPC — Full Salary Comparison

🏛️ 6th CPC (Pre-Jan 2016)

Pay Band—
Basic Pay (in band)—
Grade Pay—
Total Pay (Basic+GP)—
DA (125% approx.)—
HRA (30% on total)—
Transport Allowance₹3,200/mo (approx.)
Gross Salary—

✅ 7th CPC (From Jan 2016)

Pay Level—
Basic Pay (Entry / Your Stage)—
Grade PayAbolished — merged
Total Basic Pay—
DA (60% — Jan 2026)—
HRA (30% on Basic)—
TPTA + DA on TPTA—
Gross Salary—

Fitment Applied (Basic+GP × 2.57)—
7th CPC Entry Basic (Stage 1)—
Your Fitment Pay (from entered basic)—
Basic Pay Increase—
Gross Salary Increase—
Annual Salary Increase—
💰 7th CPC Monthly Gross (Current)—
📅 7th CPC Annual Gross—
📈 Gross Gain vs 6th CPC (per month)—

📊 Salary Component Comparison — 6th vs 7th CPC

6th CPC vs 7th CPC — Complete Structural Differences

How the pay structure fundamentally changed from Grade Pay to Pay Level system

📋All Grade Pays vs Pay Levels — Master Comparison Table

*7th CPC Gross = Basic + DA (60%) + HRA (30% X class) + TPTA (₹7,200) + DA on TPTA. 6th CPC Entry = PB minimum + Grade Pay.
📊 Biggest gainers from the 7th CPC: PB-2 employees (GP 4600, 4800, 5400) saw the highest percentage increase in basic pay — over 200–260% — because the PB-2 minimum basic was very low (₹9,300) relative to their Grade Pay. PB-1 employees (GP 1800–2800) saw a consistent 157% increase, hitting the minimum pay guarantee of ₹18,000 (Level 1). All employees benefited from the consolidation of basic + grade pay into a single figure.

🔄Key Structural Differences — 6th CPC vs 7th CPC

💡Why Was Grade Pay Replaced by Pay Level?

Simplicity

One Number Instead of Two

Under 6th CPC, every salary had two components: Pay in Pay Band and Grade Pay. Pay slips, promotion orders, and service books all needed both figures. The 7th CPC eliminated this by merging everything into a single Basic Pay figure, making calculations far simpler and less error-prone.

Transparency

Pre-Fixed Pay Matrix

Instead of calculating 3% on Pay in Band and then adding Grade Pay, the 7th CPC pre-computed every cell of the matrix. There is no ambiguity — Stage 5, Level 6 is always exactly ₹41,100. This eliminated rounding disputes, different interpretations of “next stage,” and pay fixation errors at promotion.

Fairness

Increment on Full Pay

Under 6th CPC, the annual 3% increment applied only to the Pay in Pay Band — not the Grade Pay. This meant employees with the same total emoluments but different Grade Pays earned different effective increments. The 7th CPC fixed this by applying the 3% to the full Basic Pay, making increments proportional across all levels.

Anomalies Fixed

PB Overlap Eliminated

Under 6th CPC, PB-2 (₹9,300–34,800) and PB-3 (₹15,600–39,100) had overlapping ranges — an employee at the top of PB-2 could draw more than one at the bottom of PB-3. The 7th CPC Pay Matrix has clear, non-overlapping cells across all 18 levels, eliminating such structural anomalies permanently.

💡 8th CPC (Expected 2026): The 8th Pay Commission will again create a new Pay Matrix by applying a fitment factor (expected 2.57× to 2.86×) to the current 7th CPC Basic Pay. Pay Levels and the Stage-based matrix structure will continue — only the values will change. Grade Pay will remain abolished. The minimum Basic Pay is expected to rise from ₹18,000 to ₹51,480 (at 2.86× fitment factor).

Frequently Asked Questions

Grade Pay vs Pay Level — differences, conversion, and salary impact

What is the main difference between Grade Pay and Pay Level?▾
Grade Pay (6th CPC) was a fixed amount added on top of your Pay in Pay Band to determine seniority — for example, GP ₹4,200 for Inspector or GP ₹5,400 for Group A entry. Your gross had two parts: running Pay in Band + fixed Grade Pay. Pay Level (7th CPC) is a single number (1–18) that replaces both components. Your pay is a single Basic Pay figure determined by your Level and Stage in the matrix — no separate Grade Pay exists anymore. Both serve the same purpose of differentiating seniority, but Pay Level is cleaner and more transparent.
How do I convert my Grade Pay to Pay Level?▾
The conversion is direct: GP 1800 = Level 1, GP 1900 = Level 2, GP 2000 = Level 3, GP 2400 = Level 4, GP 2800 = Level 5, GP 4200 = Level 6, GP 4600 = Level 7, GP 4800 = Level 8, GP 5400 (PB-2) = Level 9, GP 5400 (PB-3) = Level 10, GP 6600 = Level 11, GP 7600 = Level 12, GP 8700 = Level 13, GP 8900 = Level 13A, GP 10000 = Level 14. HAG, HAG+, Apex, and Cabinet Secretary scales map to Levels 15–18 respectively. This mapping is permanently fixed in the CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2016.
Why did Pay Level 7 employees gain more than Level 10 in the 7th CPC?▾
The percentage increase depended on how the 6th CPC basic (Pay in Band + Grade Pay) compared to the 7th CPC fitment of 2.57×. Level 7 employees (GP 4600, PB-2) had a Pay Band minimum of just ₹9,300 + GP ₹4,600 = ₹13,900 total. But Level 10 (GP 5400, PB-3) had a PB-3 minimum of ₹15,600 + GP ₹5,400 = ₹21,000. The 7th CPC entry for Level 7 is ₹44,900 (+223% over ₹13,900) while Level 10 entry is ₹56,100 (+167% over ₹21,000). PB-2 employees benefited more in percentage terms because the old PB-2 minimum was disproportionately low relative to the Grade Pay attached to it.
Did the abolition of Grade Pay affect pension calculation?▾
Yes, in a beneficial way. Under the 6th CPC, pension was 50% of (Last Pay in Band + Grade Pay). Under the 7th CPC, pension is 50% of the Last Basic Pay (which already incorporates the grade differential at 2.57× fitment). Since the 7th CPC Basic Pay is significantly higher than the old Pay+GP total, pension amounts increased substantially. For pre-2016 pensioners, pension was revised in two stages: first by multiplying old pension by 2.57, then by fixing in the notional pay matrix. DR (Dearness Relief) for pensioners mirrors the DA rate for serving employees — currently 60% from January 2026.
Is Grade Pay still printed on pay slips in 2026?▾
No. Grade Pay was abolished from January 1, 2016. Pay slips issued after this date show only: Basic Pay (7th CPC), DA, HRA, TPTA, and other allowances. The concept of “Pay in Pay Band” and “Grade Pay” no longer exists for serving employees. However, Grade Pay still appears in: (1) Pre-2016 service books for historical reference, (2) Pension Payment Orders (PPO) for pre-2016 retirees, (3) CGHS eligibility documentation still using old GP slabs in some hospitals, and (4) Court cases / tribunal matters relating to pre-2016 pay disputes. From 2016 onward, only Pay Level and Stage are operationally relevant.
What were the 4 Pay Bands in the 6th CPC?▾
The 6th CPC had 4 running Pay Bands: PB-1 ₹5,200–20,200 (Group C — GP 1800 to 2800); PB-2 ₹9,300–34,800 (Group B — GP 4200 to 5400); PB-3 ₹15,600–39,100 (Group A — GP 5400 to 7600); PB-4 ₹37,400–67,000 (Senior Group A — GP 8700 to 10000). Above PB-4 were special scales: HAG ₹67,000–79,000, HAG+ ₹75,500–80,000, Apex ₹80,000 fixed, and Cabinet Secretary ₹90,000 fixed. The 7th CPC replaced all of these with a clean 18-level pay matrix where each level has clearly defined entry and maximum values.
How does annual increment differ between 6th and 7th CPC?▾
Under the 6th CPC, annual increment was 3% of the Pay in Pay Band only (Grade Pay was excluded from increment calculation). This was rounded to next multiple of ₹10. For example, PB-2 basic of ₹9,300 → increment = ₹9,300 × 3% = ₹279 → rounded to ₹280. Under the 7th CPC, increment is pre-computed in the matrix — you simply move to the next Stage (row) in the same Level. The cell value is pre-set at ~3% above the previous cell, rounded to nearest ₹100. Since the 7th CPC Basic Pay includes the old Grade Pay component, the effective rupee increment is significantly higher — for example, Level 10 Stage 1 to Stage 2 increment = ₹57,800 – ₹56,100 = ₹1,700/month, vs old 6th CPC increment of ~₹470/month on PB-3 basic alone.
Will the 8th CPC bring back Grade Pay?▾
No. The 8th Pay Commission (constituted January 2025, expected report by December 2025 for January 2026 implementation) is universally expected to continue with the Pay Level and Pay Matrix structure established by the 7th CPC — not revert to Grade Pay. Grade Pay was abolished because it created complexity and anomalies, and the Pay Matrix has been functioning well. The 8th CPC will create a new pay matrix by applying a fitment factor (likely 2.57× to 2.86×) to current 7th CPC Basic Pay. Pay Levels 1–18 will continue, with only the cell values being updated. Minimum Basic Pay is projected to rise from ₹18,000 to ₹51,480 (at 2.86× fitment).
Disclaimer: Pay structure data is based on 6th CPC (implemented January 2006) and 7th CPC Pay Matrix as notified in CCS (Revised Pay) Rules, 2016 and the Gazette of India. DA at 60% (January 2026) is confirmed per AICPI-IW data. Gross salary figures use 30% HRA (X class city) and TPTA ₹7,200/month. 8th CPC projections are estimates pending official gazette notification. Refer to doe.gov.in for official rules.