CDS Salary 2024: Per Month, Rank-Wise, Allowances, Job Profile

CDS Salary 2024: Per Month, Rank-Wise, Allowances, Job Profile

ByNaveen Singh  |  Updated on: Sep 25, 2023
CDS salary is one of the major attractions of this job, along with the additional benefits enjoyed by an officer. Know the detailed CDS salary 2024 structure, job profile, and promotions along with career path for OTA, Army, Navy, and Airforce.

CDS Salary 2024 is revised as per the 7th pay commission, the details of which are provided here. This exam provides a great opportunity for candidates who want to serve the nation; the lucrative salary package and perks it provides are an added bonus for people who want to apply for the exam. After clearing the exam, the selected candidates will be entitled to various perks and allowances along with the UPSC CDS Salary.

The CDS salary per month for candidates differs according to the rank they hold. Their allowances and perks may also differ based on the same criterion. You can get all the information related to CDS Officer salary, promotions, allowances, job profile etc., here.

CDS Salary 2024

Get to know about CDS salary and job profile here before applying for the exam. Conducted by the Union Public Service Commission every year, suitable candidates are recruited for the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, and OTA through the CDS Exam. Understanding the CDS salary structure and in-hand salary details will help you realize the scope and financial rewards of the job.

Every year various eligible candidates are recruited for different posts, such as Captain, Major, Lieutenant, etc., through the Combined Defense Services recruitment. There are different pay-scale slabs for employees working at different posts.

Name of the Exam

Combined Defense Services Exam or CDS

Posts

Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier, Major General, Lieutenant General HAG Scale, HAG+Scale, VCOAS/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG), COAS

Salary Range

₹56,100 to ₹2,50,000

Factors Contributing to Monthly Salary

Rank and division of the candidate

Salary Components

Fixed base pay + allowances + benefits (as applicable)

CDS Salary Per Month

The CDS salary per month and take-home salary of candidates recruited will include multiple aspects. We have provided details about the CDS salary per month and its constituting aspects below:

  • Base pay
  • Allowances
  • Additional pay and perks

These are the constituents of an average per month CDS salary for a candidate. Suppose a candidate holds the rank of Lieutenant; he/she will be allowed a grade pay of ₹ 56,100 - 1,77,500 per month. This amount included their allowances and benefits, in addition to their base pay.

CDS Salary Rank Wise

Every employee will get the CDS salary, including the basic pay and other divisions of the salary structure. We have presented the CDS salary structure in tabular form according to the levels and pay scale as per the 7th Commission in the table given below.

Rank

Level

Grade Pay

Lieutenant

Level 10

₹ 56,100 - 1,77,500

Captain

Level 10 B

₹ 6,13,00 - 1,93,900

Major

Level 11

₹ 6,94,00 - 2,07,200

Lieutenant Colonel

Level 12A

₹ 1,21,200 - 2,12400

Colonel

Level 13

₹ 1,30,600 - 2, 15,900

Brigadier

Level 13A

₹ 1,39,600 - 2,17,600

Major General

Level 14

₹ 1,44,200-2,18,200

Lieutenant General HAG Scale

Level 15

₹ 1,82, 200 - 2,24,100

HAG+Scale

Level 16

₹ 2,05,400 - 2,24,400

VCOAS/Army Cdr/ Lieutenant General (NFSG)

Level 17

₹ 2,25,000/- (fixed)

COAS

Level 18

₹ 2,50,000/- (fixed)

Military Service Pay (MSP) - only for Officers in the rank of Lieutenant to Brigadier

Level 10-13A

₹ 15,500 p.m. (fixed)

CDS Salary in Training Period

After qualifying all the stages of the examination, candidates will get selected for the appropriate posts. However, before their final admission to the concerned academy, they will have to undergo separate cadet training. During this period, the CDS salary of all the officers at the equivalent levels of the Army, Navy, and Air Force will be a fixed stipend amount. Given below are the details about the CDS salary for the training period:

  • The candidates will be trained under their respective academies for a period of 18 months.
  • Candidates selected for OTA (Officer’s Training Academy) will be trained for a period of 49 weeks.
  • The officers across academies will receive a fixed stipend for the training period, which is ₹ 56,100 per month.

CDS Allowances and Perks

Besides an attractive CDS salary package, candidates can also expect some decent allowances and perquisites as per the salary structure. You can refer to the table given below for all the details about additional allowances and perks under the CDS Officer salary.

Allowances/ Perks

CDS Salary Structure

Dearness Allowance

At the same rates as the Civilian Personnel

Kit Maintenance Allowance

₹ 20,000 yearly

Flying Allowance

₹ 25,000/- per month for the pilots working in Level 10 or above

Field Area Allowance

₹ 10,500/- monthly

Highly Active Field Area Allowance

₹ 16,900/- monthly

High Altitude Allowance

Cat. I-₹ 3400/- per month

Cat. II- ₹ 5300/- per month

Cat. III- ₹ 25,000/- per month

Modified Field Area Allowance

₹ 6,300/- monthly

Uniform Allowance

₹ 20,000/- per month

Transport Allowance (TPTA)

Higher TPTA Cities- ₹ 7,200/- pm + the DA

For other places- ₹ 3,600/- pm + the DA

Children Education Allowance (CEA)

₹ 2,250/- per month for only the surviving eldest two.

Siachen Allowance

₹ 42,500/- per month

Free Ration

Only for Officers in Peace and Field Areas

Along with the per month allowance details of the CDS salary, candidates must also know some extra details related to it. Check out some of the additional information provided below:

  • The high TPTA cities include Kolkata, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Coimbatore, Chennai, Jaipur, Pune, Nagpur, Greater Mumbai, Indore, Kozhikode, Kochi, Bengaluru, Surat, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Patna, Hyderabad.
  • In case the person has been provided with government transport, he will not be eligible for transport allowance.
  • Officials of Pay level 14 & above who are entitled to use the official car may either take the official car facility or avail the transport allowance of Rs.15,750+DA per month.

Children Education Allowance (CEA)

Candidates receive children's education allowance under the monthly CDS salary. This allowance is admissible from Nursery to class 12th and may be availed monthly at Rs. 2250/- per child for two children only. The Sikkim government provides a cash incentive of Rs. 1.5 lakhs to all the successful candidates of Sikkim for all the officer's entry scheme.

CDS OTA Salary

Candidates who are recruited under the Officer’s Training Academy (OTA) will receive the same pay as candidates recruited under other academies. According to the official CDS OTA salary, there is no differentiation in pay for candidates enrolled in different academies of the defence forces of India. The difference in pay is only subject to the difference in rank and level of the candidate. Given below are the details about the OTA ranks and pay as per CDS salary 2023:

CDS OTA Salary 2024

Lieutenant

₹56,100 - ₹1,77,500

Captain

₹61,300 - ₹1,93,900

Major

₹69,400 - ₹2,07,200

Lieutenant Colonel

₹1,21,200 - ₹2,12,400

NDA vs CDS Salary

NDA and CDS are the two most important defence exams, which see the active participation of hundreds of aspiring candidates. The NDA and CDS salary structure and pay are both the same, according to the ranks and levels of the candidates. Candidates will receive the exact same amount as per their rank in NDA as they would in CDS. The promotional criteria might be different for certain posts. To find more details about the rank-wise CDS salary, please refer to the section mentioned above.

CDS Job Profile

Along with the lucrative allowances under the CDS salary, you will also get promotions during your tenure. The promotional criteria for candidates recruited in CDS differ as per their ranks. Find the details about the CDS job profile and promotions given below -

CDS Job Profile & Promotions

Rank

Duration

Captain

2 years of commissioned service

Major

6 years of commissioned service

Lieutenant Colonel

13 years of commissioned service

Colonel

15 years of commissioned service

Colonel (TS)

26 years of commissioned service

Major General

25 years of commissioned service

Brigadier

23 years of commissioned service

Lieutenant General

28 years of commissioned service

General

No restrictions

Lieutenant

Promotion only after completion of training

CDS Salary FAQs

  • CDS salary 2024 for recruited candidates depends on the ranks they hold in their academies. The general pay bracket for ranks Lieutenant to COAS is ₹ 56,100/- to ₹ 2,50,000/-. The salary of the recruits is subjected to change if they promote to a higher rank.

  • The starting CDS salary is ₹ 56,100, which is equivalent to the stipend during the training period. Also, they have many other allowances to help them through the serving period such as transportation allowance, rent allowance, etc.

  • Yes, the CDS salary increases after promotion. Candidates will get a fixed CDS salary per month, comprising of base pay, and certain variable allowances and benefits. Once a candidate gets promoted to a higher rank, their pay will also increase.

  • A Lieutenant General gets a monthly pay of ₹1,82,200 - ₹2,24,100 as per CDS salary. The pay for the lieutenant general also includes certain allowances and perks such as rent allowance, transportation allowance, etc.

  • The highest CDS salary is for the post of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), who is the highest ranking officer and hence, looks over the entire army staff. The pay for the rank of Chief of the Army Staff is ₹ 2,50,000/- (fixed).

  • In CDS salary, the military service pay (MSP) is granted only to limited officers. Only the officers ranking from Lieutenant to Brigadier (Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, and Brigadier) receive an MSP of ₹ 15,500 p.m. (fixed).

  • The CDS salary for OTA (Officer’s Training Academy) posts is the same as that of those posts from other academies. The details about the same are as follows:

     

    • Lieutenant - ₹56,100 - ₹1,77,500
    • Captain - ₹61,300 - ₹1,93,900
    • Major - ₹69,400 - ₹2,07,200
    • Lieutenant Colonel - ₹1,21,200 - ₹2,12,400
  • Yes, candidates who are under a training period get a monthly CDS salary. The amount that every trainee gets per month in CDS is ₹56,100. As the training period gets over, the candidate receives the per month salary as their rank specifies.

CDS & Defence

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