Police Sub Inspector salary 2026 figures cluster around a single number: ₹35,400 basic pay, the Level 6 starting point used for central SIs and for Daroga posts in several large states. What an SI actually takes home, though, swings from about ₹51,000 to nearly ₹76,000 a month, depending on which government pays the DA and where the officer is posted.
Getting the job is its own story. In Bihar’s latest SI recruitment, 14,591 candidates were disqualified for writing the wrong roll number on their OMR sheet. That’s more than eight times the 1,799 seats on offer, lost before a single answer was checked.
| Police SI Pay 2026 | Basic Pay | DA | Take-Home Picture |
| Delhi Police SI (via SSC CPO) | ₹35,400 | 60% (central) | ~₹66,900 with private housing |
| CAPF SI (via SSC CPO) | ₹35,400 | 60% (central) | ~₹58,400 peace station; ~₹75,700 hard area |
| UP / Bihar SI (state posts) | ~₹35,400 | 60% (UP confirmed; Bihar reported) | ~₹51,000 before HRA and state allowances |
| West Bengal SI | State ROPA matrix | 18% → 38% from 1 Oct 2026 | Lower until the DA rise takes effect |
Same ₹35,400, Different Months
Three factors separate one SI’s payslip from another’s:
- Who pays DA. Central forces and states matching the Centre pay 60%. Some states pay far less.
- Where you’re posted. Delhi Police SIs always draw X-city HRA. CAPF SIs move between peace stations and notified hard areas. State SIs get allowances set by their own governments.
- How you live. Government quarters remove HRA but also remove rent, often a better deal in expensive cities.
On a ₹35,400 basic, every 10 percentage points of DA is worth ₹3,540 a month. That’s why an SI’s state matters as much as the rank.
Police Sub Inspector Salary In Hand: Three Examples
Figures use a 10% NPS deduction where it applies and 60% DA for central and equivalent state posts.
| Component (₹) | Delhi Police SI (private housing) | CAPF SI (notified hard area) | State SI (60% DA, before HRA) |
| Basic pay | 35,400 | 35,400 | 35,400 |
| DA @ 60% | 21,240 | 21,240 | 21,240 |
| HRA | 10,620 | — | State rules |
| Transport Allowance + DA | 5,760 | 2,880 | State rules |
| Ration money | — | ~4,558 | — |
| Risk & Hardship Allowance | — | 17,300 | — |
| Less: NPS | 5,664 | 5,664 | 5,664 |
| Less: CGHS | 450 | — | — |
| Approx. in-hand | ~66,906 | ~75,714 | ~50,976 + allowances |
No income tax applies in any of these cases under the new regime.
The CAPF column shows why many officers volunteer for hard postings. The enhanced Risk and Hardship Allowance of ₹17,300, paid to ranks up to Inspector in specified J&K and Left Wing Extremism areas, outweighs the metro HRA a Delhi Police SI receives.
Where DA Drags Pay Down
West Bengal shows how much state DA matters. State employees there drew just 18% DA while the Centre paid 60%. The new government’s budget, presented on 22 June 2026, raises it to 38% from 1 October 2026. Even then, the gap is 22 points.
WB also uses its own ROPA 2019 pay matrix, so its SI level labels don’t line up with central Level 6. And West Bengal never moved state employees to NPS, so its SIs contribute to GPF and retain a defined pension. Lower DA today, stronger pension later: that’s the Bengal trade-off.
The Bihar SI Numbers
Bihar’s SI recruitment under Advertisement 05/2025 offers a close look at the competition:
| Stage | Figure |
| Vacancies | 1,799 |
| Registered | 10,36,702 |
| Appeared in Prelims (18 and 21 January 2026) | 7,26,231 |
| Disqualified for procedural errors | 29,272 |
| Of which: wrong roll number on OMR | 14,591 |
| Qualified for Mains | 31,876 (one report cites 35,837) |
| Mains result | Declared 19 June 2026, followed by PET |
Beyond roll numbers, candidates were also disqualified for wrong booklet numbers, missing signatures and skipping the mandatory Hindi or English paragraph. For aspirants anywhere, the lesson is blunt: practise filling the OMR sheet as seriously as the syllabus.
Open and Upcoming SI Recruitments
- SSC CPO 2026: 1,871 SI posts across Delhi Police (317), CAPFs (1,320) and the new CISF SI (Fire) (234). Applications close on 30 September 2026. Male Delhi Police aspirants need an LMV licence for both motorcycle and car at the physical tests.
- Bihar SI (Advt. 05/2025): now at the physical test stage after the June Mains result.
- Bihar SI (Advt. 09/2026): a smaller notice for 150 posts, with applications reported open from 9 July to 9 August 2026.
Other states run their own SI drives through police recruitment boards and commissions, each on its own pay rules.
From Sub-Inspector Upward
In most forces, the next step is Inspector at Level 7 (₹44,900 in central and equivalent state scales). CAPF SIs can compete in the departmental exam for Assistant Commandant, a Level 10 gazetted rank. State SIs can progress to Inspector and later to DSP-level posts through promotion quotas.
MACP or state equivalents guarantee pay upgrades after 10, 20 and 30 years of service if promotions stall.
FAQs
Q. What is a Police Sub Inspector’s salary per month in 2026?
It ranges from roughly ₹51,000 plus allowances for state SIs at 60% DA to about ₹75,700 for CAPF SIs in notified hard areas. Delhi Police SIs take home around ₹66,900.
Q. Is SI basic pay the same in every state?
Many states and central forces use ₹35,400 at Level 6, but not all. West Bengal, for instance, uses its own ROPA matrix, and DA rates vary widely.
Q. Which SI job pays the most?
A CAPF SI in a notified J&K or Left Wing Extremism area, thanks to the ₹17,300 enhanced Risk and Hardship Allowance. Delhi Police SIs earn well due to X-city allowances.
Q. When is the last date for SSC CPO SI 2026?
Applications for SSC CPO 2026 close on 30 September 2026, with fee payment allowed until 1 October and corrections from 8 to 10 October.
