Stenographer salary 2026: Grade C and Grade D pay, in hand
Both grades on the 7th CPC matrix, the deductions, the difference a Group B posting makes, and the route from Grade D to Private Secretary.
SSC recruits stenographers in two grades. Grade C is at Pay Level 6, basic ₹35,400 and takes home about ₹66,706 a month in an X-class city; Grade D is at Level 4, basic ₹25,500 and takes home about ₹49,680. Both include DA at 60%, HRA and transport allowance, less NPS, CGHS and professional tax. Grade C posts sit in ministries and attached offices in Delhi, so the X-city column is the common case; Grade D posts are spread across field offices.
- Grade C: Level 6, basic ₹35,400 — in hand about ₹66,706 (X city)
- Grade D: Level 4, basic ₹25,500 — in hand about ₹49,680 (X city)
- Grade C is Group B non-gazetted; Grade D is Group C
- Skill test: 100 wpm (C) and 80 wpm (D) dictation, transcribed on computer
- Ladder: Grade D → Grade C → Private Secretary (Level 7–8) → Senior PS
Stenographer Grade C salary structure (Level 6)
| Component | X city (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru…) | Y city | Z city / rural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic pay (Level 6) | ₹35,400 | ₹35,400 | ₹35,400 |
| Dearness allowance (60%) | ₹21,240 | ₹21,240 | ₹21,240 |
| House rent allowance (30 / 20 / 10%) | ₹10,620 | ₹7,080 | ₹3,540 |
| Transport allowance (with DA) | ₹5,760 | ₹2,880 | ₹2,880 |
| Gross | ₹73,020 | ₹66,600 | ₹63,060 |
| − NPS (10% of basic + DA) | ₹5,664 | ₹5,664 | ₹5,664 |
| − CGHS | ₹450 | ₹450 | ₹450 |
| − Professional tax (typical) | ₹200 | ₹200 | ₹200 |
| In hand per month | ₹66,706 | ₹60,286 | ₹56,746 |
Stenographer Grade D salary structure (Level 4)
| Component | X city (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru…) | Y city | Z city / rural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic pay (Level 4) | ₹25,500 | ₹25,500 | ₹25,500 |
| Dearness allowance (60%) | ₹15,300 | ₹15,300 | ₹15,300 |
| House rent allowance (30 / 20 / 10%) | ₹7,650 | ₹5,100 | ₹2,550 |
| Transport allowance (with DA) | ₹5,760 | ₹2,880 | ₹2,880 |
| Gross | ₹54,210 | ₹48,780 | ₹46,230 |
| − NPS (10% of basic + DA) | ₹4,080 | ₹4,080 | ₹4,080 |
| − CGHS | ₹250 | ₹250 | ₹250 |
| − Professional tax (typical) | ₹200 | ₹200 | ₹200 |
| In hand per month | ₹49,680 | ₹44,250 | ₹41,700 |
All 7th CPC figures on this page use dearness allowance at 60% of basic, the rate in force from 1 January 2026; the July 2026 revision is normally announced in October and adds arrears. HRA is 30%, 20% or 10% of basic by city class (X: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad). Transport allowance is the 7th CPC slab for the pay level plus DA on it. NPS is the employee’s 10% on basic plus DA; the government adds 14%, which is not shown because it is not pay. Professional tax is state-specific and shown at a typical ₹200.
Promotion path
| Post | Pay level | Basic at entry |
|---|---|---|
| Stenographer Grade D | 4 | ₹25,500 |
| Stenographer Grade C | 6 | ₹35,400 |
| Private Secretary | 7–8 | ₹44,900–47,600 |
| Senior Private Secretary | 10 | ₹56,100 |
| Principal Private Secretary | 11 | ₹67,700 |
The stenographer cadre in the Central Secretariat (CSSS) has a defined ladder to Principal Private Secretary; in other departments the ladder stops earlier. MACP gives three financial upgradations at 10, 20 and 30 years if promotions do not arrive.
How to join
SSC Stenographer Grade C and D: 10+2 pass, age 18–30 for Grade C and 18–27 for Grade D, a computer-based test in general intelligence, general awareness and English, then the skill test — dictation at 100 or 80 words a minute transcribed on a computer within a time limit.
The 8th Central Pay Commission was constituted by notification on 3 November 2025 under Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, with an 18-month mandate; its report is expected around mid-2027 and revised pay is conventionally effective from 1 January 2026 with arrears. Nothing on this page changes until that report is accepted — the fitment factor and new matrix are not yet decided, whatever a “8th CPC salary” headline claims.
Check it against your own numbers
Put the gross from the table into the salary calculator to see the effect of a different state, a higher basic or the old tax regime; the income tax calculator shows the slab position for the year, and the TDS chart explains what the employer deducts under Section 192. Every other post in this series is on the salaries hub, and private-sector CTCs are priced on the LPA to in-hand page.
Similar posts and what they pay
Common questions
Grade C takes home about ₹66,706 a month and Grade D about ₹49,680 in an X city, after NPS, CGHS and professional tax.
No. Grade C is Group B non-gazetted; Grade D is Group C. Private Secretary and above are gazetted in the Central Secretariat.
Pay level (6 versus 4), the dictation speed required (100 versus 80 words a minute), the age limit, and the offices: Grade C serves senior officers in ministries, Grade D serves field and subordinate offices.
Basic rises 3 percent a year: Grade C reaches about ₹41,000 basic and Grade D about ₹29,600 after five increments, with DA, HRA and TA on top; a promotion to the next grade adds more.
- Staff Selection Commission — Stenographer Grade C and D notice (Levels 6 and 4)
- Department of Expenditure — 7th CPC pay matrix and allowances
- Ministry of Finance — DA 60% from 1 January 2026
Pay level, basic and allowance rates verified against the cited notifications and 7th CPC orders on 27 September 2026; in-hand figures are computed, not quoted, and exclude post-specific allowances unless stated.