IPS Salary: Ranks, DSP and DGP Salary, Exam and Eligibility

The IPS salary begins at a basic pay of ₹56,100 per month, the first stage (Level 10) of the 7th CPC pay table. With promotions it goes up to ₹2,05,400 or ₹2,25,000 basic for a Director General of Police (DGP). Add DA, HRA or an official house, transport allowance, uniform allowance and a vehicle, and the package is among the best in government. When students ask me "IPS ki salary kitni hoti hai", I tell them the pay is good, but the respect and the chance to protect people are the real reward.

What an IPS officer does

IPS stands for Indian Police Service. It is an All India Service, so officers are recruited by the Centre but serve a state cadre. An IPS officer leads the police force. You start as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in charge of a sub-division. After a few years you become Superintendent of Police (SP) of a district, responsible for every police station, crime control, VIP security, riots, elections and traffic in that district.

Later posts include DIG of a range, IG of a zone, Commissioner of Police in big cities, and heads of central forces and agencies such as the CBI, CRPF, BSF and the Intelligence Bureau on deputation. The job means night calls, field visits, long hours in uniform and real risk. It suits people who are fit, calm under pressure and fair.

IPS officer salary by rank

All IPS ranks follow the central pay matrix. Here are the IPS ranks and salary levels with the starting basic pay of each level:

The SP salary per month and the SSP salary depend on which grade the officer has reached, so an SP can be at Level 11, 12 or 13. The DGP salary per month is ₹2,05,400 or ₹2,25,000 basic plus DA, and the top post of each state is in the apex scale.

IPS salary per month: what you actually get

The monthly payslip of an IPS officer has these parts:

• Basic pay: ₹56,100 for a new officer, plus a yearly increment of about 3 percent.
• Dearness Allowance: a share of basic pay that the government updates every January and July.
• HRA: 3 rates for X, Y and Z class cities. It stops if you live in an official house, which most district officers do.
• Transport Allowance: paid monthly with DA. Field officers also get official vehicles.
• Other benefits: uniform allowance, medical cover, security, leave travel concession and a phone.
• Deductions: NPS (10 percent of basic plus DA), income tax and insurance.

The IPS starting salary in hand changes whenever DA changes, so I am not writing a fixed figure here. The pay box near the top shows a current estimate, or enter your own numbers in this calculator:

The IPS salary in India is the same pay matrix in every state. Only allowances like HRA change with the city. For a side by side look at both services, read our IAS salary page. In short, IAS vs IPS salary is the same at each pay level. The IAS can go one step higher, to Level 18 for the Cabinet Secretary, while the highest IPS level is Level 17.

DSP salary: how it differs from IPS

DSP means Deputy Superintendent of Police. In most states the DSP is a state police service officer, not an IPS officer. The post is filled through the state civil services exam of the state public service commission, or by promotion from inspector rank. So the DSP salary per month follows the state pay scale, and it is different in Bihar, UP, MP, Punjab, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and every other state. Check the latest state PCS notification for the exact pay level. See our state PCS page for that exam.

In simple terms, a DSP police salary is lower than an IPS officer's at the start, because the DSP joins at a state pay level. DSPs who do well are later promoted to the IPS. An IPS officer on probation in the ASP rank holds a post of the same rank as a Deputy SP, but is paid on the IPS scale.

If you want to start in police uniform after graduation without the long UPSC route, also look at sub-inspector jobs and the CAPF Assistant Commandant exam.

IPS exam: eligibility and age limit

There is no stand-alone IPS exam. UPSC selects IPS officers through the Civil Services Examination, the same one used for the IAS and IFS. After the final result, the service you get depends on your rank, your preference order and your physical fitness. Read the full exam guide on our UPSC civil services page.

A rule to note: a person already appointed to the IPS through an earlier exam cannot be given the IPS again through a later exam. Other conditions for serving officers are in the notification. To see where you stand on age with category relaxation, use this tool:

IPS exam pattern and syllabus

• Prelims: General Studies Paper I and CSAT (Paper II), 200 marks each, objective type, 2 hours each. CSAT is qualifying (33 percent). Wrong answers cost one-third of the marks of that question.
• Mains: an Indian language paper and an English paper (300 each, 25 percent to qualify), plus Essay, General Studies I to IV and two optional papers at 250 each. Merit is counted on 1,750 marks.
• Personality test: 275 marks, for a final total of 2,025.

The IPS exam syllabus is the civil services syllabus: history, geography, polity, governance, economy, environment, science, internal security, ethics and one optional subject from the UPSC list. Internal security and disaster management in General Studies III are close to police work, so give them extra time.

IPS training and promotions

New officers first join the common foundation course at the academy in Mussoorie (LBSNAA). Then they go to the National Police Academy in Hyderabad (SVPNPA) for basic police training: law, investigation, weapons, horse riding, unarmed combat, drill and long outdoor work. Next comes practical training in a district of the allotted state cadre, and then a final phase at the academy.

The usual path after training is ASP, then SP of a district, then SSP or Commandant, DIG, IG, Additional DGP and finally DGP. Officers also go on central deputation to the CBI, NIA, IB or the central armed police forces. Promotion speed depends on vacancies in the cadre and your record.

How to prepare for the IPS exam

• Give yourself about 1 to 2 years of steady study. Most toppers took more than one attempt.
• Build basics from school NCERT books, then move to one standard book per subject.
• Follow the news every day, with a focus on governance, security and law.
• Practise IPS exam questions and answers from the old UPSC papers. Write mains answers daily.
• Stay fit from day one. Police training is physically hard, and the medical has standards.
• Keep backups ready: state PCS, CAPF AC and other jobs after graduation.

There is no separate "IPS course" you must do after class 12. Any graduation works. Many aspirants choose a BA because the subjects match the syllabus.

Official website

All IPS recruitment goes through upsc.gov.in. The notification, application link, admit cards, results and old question papers are posted there. Dates, vacancy numbers and cut-off marks change each cycle, so read the newest notification before you plan. For other uniform careers, see our toughest exams in India page.