What Is the Basic Pay Scale (BPS) System?
Pakistan's federal government organises all civil service positions into 22 pay grades known as Basic Pay Scales (BPS). BPS-1 covers the most junior positions (sanitary workers, naib qasid) and BPS-22 covers the most senior (federal secretaries, chief secretaries).
Each grade has a minimum basic pay (the starting point for a fresh appointee) and a series of annual increments that increase the basic pay each year of service, up to a maximum. The 25% increase announced in Budget 2026–27 applies to the minimum basic pay of each grade.
BPS Minimum Basic Pay Table — After Budget 2026 (25% Increase)
| Grade | Basic Pay Before | +25% Increase | New Minimum Basic Pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPS-1 | ₨32,000 | +₨8,000 | ₨40,000 |
| BPS-2 | ₨33,200 | +₨8,300 | ₨41,500 |
| BPS-3 | ₨34,500 | +₨8,625 | ₨43,125 |
| BPS-4 | ₨36,000 | +₨9,000 | ₨45,000 |
| BPS-5 | ₨38,800 | +₨9,700 | ₨48,500 |
| BPS-6 | ₨40,200 | +₨10,050 | ₨50,250 |
| BPS-7 | ₨43,000 | +₨10,750 | ₨53,750 |
| BPS-8 | ₨44,800 | +₨11,200 | ₨56,000 |
| BPS-9 | ₨48,000 | +₨12,000 | ₨60,000 |
| BPS-10 | ₨50,000 | +₨12,500 | ₨62,500 |
| BPS-11 | ₨53,800 | +₨13,450 | ₨67,250 |
| BPS-12 | ₨56,000 | +₨14,000 | ₨70,000 |
| BPS-13 | ₨59,000 | +₨14,750 | ₨73,750 |
| BPS-14 | ₨65,200 | +₨16,300 | ₨81,500 |
| BPS-15 | ₨69,000 | +₨17,250 | ₨86,250 |
| BPS-16 | ₨74,800 | +₨18,700 | ₨93,500 |
| BPS-17 | ₨99,000 | +₨24,750 | ₨123,750 |
| BPS-18 | ₨140,000 | +₨35,000 | ₨175,000 |
| BPS-19 | ₨190,000 | +₨47,500 | ₨237,500 |
| BPS-20 | ₨240,000 | +₨60,000 | ₨300,000 |
| BPS-21 | ₨300,000 | +₨75,000 | ₨375,000 |
| BPS-22 | ₨360,000 | +₨90,000 | ₨450,000 |
Note: These are minimum basic pay figures. Your actual basic pay depends on the increment step you have reached through annual increments.
Basic Pay vs. Gross Salary — What Is the Difference?
Your basic pay is just one component of your total monthly salary. The full gross salary also includes:
- House Rent Allowance (HRA) — 45% of basic pay in A-class cities (Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi), 30% elsewhere
- Medical Allowance — Fixed amount by grade (₨4,000 for BPS 1–4 up to ₨15,000 for BPS 20–22)
- Conveyance Allowance — Fixed amount by grade (₨1,500 for BPS 1–5 up to ₨8,000 for BPS 20–22)
- Special Pay / Personal Pay — Additional amounts for certain posts or specialisations
Use our Salary Calculator to see your full gross salary with all allowances included.
Annual Increments — How Does Salary Grow Each Year?
Every year of satisfactory service, a government employee moves up one increment within their grade. The increment amount varies by grade — roughly 5–8% of the minimum basic pay per step. An employee who joined at BPS-17 minimum will typically reach the maximum BPS-17 step after 20–25 years of service, at which point no further increments apply within that grade.
Promotions move an employee to the next grade, resetting their increment count at the minimum of the new grade.
BPS Grades and Typical Positions
| Grade Range | Category | Typical Posts |
|---|---|---|
| BPS 1–4 | Lowest cadre | Naib Qasid, Sanitary Worker, Mali, Chowkidar |
| BPS 5–10 | Lower division | LDC, UDC, Clerk, Driver, Constable |
| BPS 11–16 | Middle cadre | Assistant, Accountant, Steno, Head Constable, Inspector |
| BPS 17–18 | Officer cadre | Section Officer, Gazetted Officer, Assistant Director, DSP |
| BPS 19–20 | Senior officer | Joint Secretary, Director General, SSP, Brigadier |
| BPS 21–22 | Top tier | Additional Secretary, Federal Secretary, Chief Secretary |
Calculate Your Full Salary Now
The table above shows basic pay only. To see your complete monthly salary including all allowances, use our free calculator:
Also see: Government Salary Increase 2026 — How Much Each Grade Gets