If you work for the government in Pakistan — or you’re thinking about joining — the pay scale system directly affects your take-home salary. Budget 2025-26 brought two new allowances. Salary charts changed. And a lot of people are still confused about what they actually earn.
This guide covers the full BPS pay scale chart for 2025, every major allowance, how Budget 2025-26 changed salaries, and a step-by-step salary calculation so you can figure out your own numbers.
What Is the Basic Pay Scale (BPS) System?
The Basic Pay Scale (BPS) system is the standard salary framework for government employees in Pakistan. It applies across federal and all four provincial governments — Punjab, Sindh, KPK, and Balochistan — as well as AJK and GB.
The system divides government positions into 22 grades, from BPS-1 to BPS-22. BPS-1 covers the lowest-tier support staff. BPS-22 is the highest grade, reserved for senior civil servants and federal secretaries.
Each grade has a starting (initial) basic pay and a fixed annual increment. Every year of service, an employee moves up one stage — increasing their basic pay by the increment amount. BPS-1 to BPS-16 employees have 30 stages. BPS-17 and above have fewer.
Basic pay alone does not equal your salary. Your gross salary includes basic pay plus a set of regular allowances. This is a common source of confusion for fresh recruits.
BPS Pay Scale Chart 2025–26
The current pay scales are based on the Revised Pay Scales 2022. No new basic pay scale revision was announced in Budget 2025-26. What changed are the allowances layered on top — explained in the next section.
Here is the BPS pay scale chart 2025–26 with initial basic pay and annual increment per grade:
| Grade | Initial Basic Pay (PKR) | Annual Increment (PKR) |
|---|---|---|
| BPS-1 | 10,275 | 295 |
| BPS-2 | 10,510 | 310 |
| BPS-3 | 10,760 | 330 |
| BPS-4 | 11,070 | 355 |
| BPS-5 | 11,370 | 375 |
| BPS-6 | 11,670 | 395 |
| BPS-7 | 12,020 | 420 |
| BPS-8 | 12,400 | 445 |
| BPS-9 | 12,830 | 475 |
| BPS-10 | 13,290 | 510 |
| BPS-11 | 13,810 | 545 |
| BPS-12 | 14,400 | 585 |
| BPS-13 | 15,030 | 625 |
| BPS-14 | 15,710 | 665 |
| BPS-15 | 16,430 | 705 |
| BPS-16 | 17,190 | 745 |
| BPS-17 | 32,910 | 1,495 |
| BPS-18 | 46,500 | 1,975 |
| BPS-19 | 66,250 | 2,600 |
| BPS-20 | 88,050 | 3,220 |
| BPS-21 | 129,500 | 4,420 |
| BPS-22 | 183,450 | 5,720 |
Source: Finance Division, Government of Pakistan – Revised Pay Scales 2022
You can explore the full breakdown interactively using the Pay Scale Table tool, which shows all stages and increments per grade in one place.
Budget 2025-26 Salary Increase – What Changed?
Budget 2025-26 was announced on 10 June 2025. Two new allowances were confirmed for government employees:
1. Adhoc Relief Allowance 2025 (ARA-2025) – 10%
All federal government employees from BPS-1 to BPS-22 are eligible. ARA-2025 is calculated at 10% of the current basic pay (based on Pay Scales 2022). This applies regardless of department or cadre.
2. Disparity Reduction Allowance 2025 (DRA-2025) – 30%
DRA-2025 is a 30% increase on the basic pay for eligible employees. Not every employee gets it. Those already receiving a Special Allowance equal to or more than 100% of their basic pay are not eligible.
Previously, the government had granted DRA-2021 at 25% and DRA-2022 at 15%. With DRA-2025, eligible employees now receive a cumulative 70% Disparity Reduction Allowance on top of their basic pay.
Bottom line: Eligible employees received a combined 40% increase in Budget 2025-26 (10% ARA + 30% DRA). Employees not eligible for DRA received a 10% increase only.
Full Allowances Breakdown for Government Employees 2025
Your gross salary in 2025 is made up of several components. Here is what applies to most government employees:
House Rent Allowance (HRA) HRA is calculated at 45% of the initial basic pay (2008 scale-based formula, adjusted with 50% increase). If you live in a government-hired house, the hiring rate applies instead. Rental ceilings were last revised in 2021.
Medical Allowance A fixed monthly amount. Rates vary by grade and province.
Conveyance Allowance (CA) A fixed monthly transport allowance. Also grade-specific and province-specific.
Adhoc Relief Allowances (All Cumulative) Government employees are currently receiving ARA-2023, ARA-2024, and now ARA-2025 — all stacked on top of each other. These are not merged into basic pay until the government announces a formal pay scale revision.
Disparity Reduction Allowances (All Cumulative) DRA-2021, DRA-2022, and DRA-2025 are all active and cumulative for eligible employees.
To see exactly how your gross salary adds up after all these allowances, use the Salary Calculator — it accounts for ARA, DRA, and grade-based allowances together.
How to Calculate Your Salary in 2025 – BPS-17 Example
Let’s walk through a real example. Fresh BPS-17 appointee, federal government:
| Component | Amount (PKR) |
|---|---|
| Basic Pay (initial, 2022 scale) | 32,910 |
| HRA (45% of initial BPS 2008 + 50%) | ~14,810 |
| Medical Allowance | ~5,000 |
| Conveyance Allowance | ~3,000 |
| ARA-2023 (10%) | ~3,291 |
| ARA-2024 (25% federal) | ~8,228 |
| ARA-2025 (10%) | ~3,291 |
| DRA-2021 (25%) | ~8,228 |
| DRA-2022 (15%) | ~4,937 |
| DRA-2025 (30%) | ~9,873 |
| Gross Total (approximate) | ~93,568 |
Deductions (income tax, pension contribution ~10%) reduce this to a net take-home of roughly PKR 80,000–85,000 for a fresh BPS-17 officer in 2025.
Want to calculate your own income tax on that salary? The Income Tax Calculator gives you an accurate figure based on the latest FBR slabs.
Province-Wise Pay Scale Comparison 2025
The basic pay rates are uniform across all provinces since they follow the federal BPS 2022 revision. What differs are the allowances.
Federal Government: ARA-2025 at 10%, DRA-2025 at 30% for eligible employees.
Punjab: Budget 2025-26 Punjab announced separate increases. Punjab employees follow the same BPS structure but their ARA and DRA rates and timing sometimes differ slightly.
Sindh: Finance Department Sindh issues its own notification post-budget. Sindh employees received a personal allowance in recent years in addition to ARA.
KPK: KPK granted DRA-2025 at 15% (not 30%), applied at the beginning of the 2022 pay scales — a different base than federal.
Balochistan, AJK, GB: These provinces broadly follow the federal structure. Minor variations exist in specific allowances.
Other Pay Scale Systems in Pakistan
BPS is not the only pay scale system in use. Two others are common:
Special Pay Scale (SPS) SPS applies to strategic institutions — Atomic Energy Division, NESCOM, SUPARCO, and SPD. The structure mirrors BPS but with higher salary rates. SPS-1 starts at PKR 12,280 with a PKR 600 increment.
Project Pay Scale (PPS) PPS is a lump-sum package for employees hired on PSDP (Public Sector Development Programs). No separate allowances are paid — everything is included in the fixed amount.
Tenure Track System (TTS) TTS applies to faculty at public-sector universities. It maintains a 35% salary premium above the equivalent BPS grade. Eligible positions: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor.
Proposed Civil Service Reforms – BPS-23 and BPS-24
In early 2025, the civil service reforms committee discussed introducing two new pay grades: BPS-23 and BPS-24 for senior bureaucrats. The current system caps out at BPS-22.
The proposal also includes monetising housing benefits, restructuring ministries by workload, and merging allowances into basic pay. No formal legislation has passed yet. If approved, this would be the most significant structural change to the BPS framework in decades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Was a new pay scale revision announced in Budget 2025-26? No. The government did not revise basic pay scales in 2025-26. The Pay Scales 2022 remain in effect. Budget 2025-26 added ARA-2025 (10%) and DRA-2025 (30%) as new allowances.
Q: Who is eligible for DRA-2025? Employees not receiving any Special Allowance equal to or more than 100% of their basic pay. Employees already receiving such a special allowance do not get DRA.
Q: Is the 10% ARA for all grades? Yes. ARA-2025 at 10% applies to all federal government employees from BPS-1 to BPS-22.
Q: Do provincial employees get the same increase? No. Provinces announce their own budget increases. Federal rates do not automatically apply to Punjab, Sindh, KPK, or Balochistan employees.
Q: What is the minimum government salary in Pakistan in 2025? The minimum wage in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) was set at PKR 37,000 in Budget 2025-26. BPS-1 employees receive additional allowances on top of basic pay to meet this threshold.
Q: How is pension calculated for government employees? Pension is based on years of service and last drawn pay. Budget 2025-26 included a 7% increase in net pension for federal pensioners. You can estimate your EOBI contribution separately using the EOBI Calculator.
Q: Can I check if I qualify for FPSC entry into a specific BPS grade by age? Yes. The FPSC Age Checker tool instantly tells you if you fall within the age limit for a given FPSC post.
Conclusion
The government pay scale 2025 in Pakistan is still running on the BPS 2022 base structure. Budget 2025-26 added a 10% Adhoc Relief Allowance for all employees and a 30% Disparity Reduction Allowance for eligible ones. Together, those two push gross salaries up by 40% for qualifying staff.
Salaries vary quite a bit once you factor in province, grade, years of service, and department-specific allowances. A BPS-17 officer in Islamabad will earn significantly more than the basic pay figure alone suggests.
If you want a broader view of where government salaries stand relative to the private sector, the Average Salary in Pakistan guide breaks that down in detail.
