Sub Inspector Salary 2026: Salary In Hand Per Month, Basic Pay and Allowances

Sub Inspector salary in 2026 starts at ₹35,400 basic pay at Pay Level 6 for SIs recruited through SSC CPO into Delhi Police and the Central Armed Police Forces. With 60% DA and the usual allowances, a new SI takes home roughly ₹58,000 to ₹76,000 a month, depending on the force and posting.

The deadline is close. SSC released the CPO 2026 notification on 10 September with 1,871 tentative vacancies, and applications close on 30 September 2026.

Which Sub Inspector Are We Talking About?

The title “Sub Inspector” covers three kinds of posts:

1. SI (Executive) in Delhi Police: recruited through SSC CPO and posted within Delhi.
2. SI (GD) in the CAPFs: BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, and SSB, also recruited through SSC CPO.
3. State police SIs: recruited by state boards such as UPPRPB and BPSSC, under each state’s own pay rules.

This guide mainly covers the central posts, since they share one pay structure. State SI pay is discussed briefly further down.

SSC CPO 2026: A Much Smaller Intake

This cycle’s 1,871 vacancies break down as follows:

• Delhi Police SI (Executive): 317
• CAPF SI (GD): 1,320
• CISF SI (Fire), a new post: 234

The previous cycle had 4,187 vacancies, so this year’s intake is down by more than half. Competition for each post will be much tougher.

The SI (Fire) post also has a wider age range, 18 to 30 years, compared with 20 to 25 years for the other posts. Male candidates applying for Delhi Police SI must hold a valid LMV licence for both motorcycle and car by the physical test date.

Allowances on a Sub Inspector’s Payslip

Dearness Allowance: DA is 60% of basic pay, or ₹21,240 a month at the entry level. The Cabinet is expected to approve a rise to 63% from July 2026. That would add about ₹1,060 a month.

House Rent Allowance: HRA is 30%, 20%, or 10% of basic pay in X, Y, or Z cities. It isn’t paid to SIs living in government accommodation. Delhi Police SIs serve in Delhi, an X-class city, and receive the full 30% if they aren’t in quarters.

Transport Allowance: Level 6 employees receive ₹3,600 plus DA in higher-rate cities, which comes to ₹5,760 a month. Elsewhere, they receive ₹1,800 plus DA, or ₹2,880.

Ration Money: CAPF SIs are non-gazetted ranks, so they receive ration money in cash. The 2025-26 rate was ₹151.93 a day. We couldn’t confirm a newer rate. Delhi Police follows its own allowance orders, so check whether an equivalent allowance applies there.

Risk and Hardship Allowance: This is paid to CAPF SIs at notified postings, such as Naxal-affected districts, parts of J&K, and some border and North-East areas. It’s commonly cited at about ₹9,700 a month. In specified J&K and Naxal areas, the Home Ministry has raised it to ₹17,300 for ranks up to Inspector.

Five Real-World Payslips

All figures use 60% DA and a 10% NPS deduction.

Here’s how the Delhi Police figure is calculated:

• Basic pay: ₹35,400
• DA at 60%: ₹21,240
• HRA at 30%: ₹10,620
• Transport allowance plus DA: ₹5,760
• Less NPS: ₹5,664

Take-home: about ₹67,350.

The CAPF figures include ration money. The hard-area figures assume the SI lives in unit accommodation, so no HRA is paid.

Annual income at this level is roughly ₹7–9.8 lakh, so income tax under the new regime is usually small or zero. It depends on your total income and deductions.

A Sub Inspector’s Job, and Why It Pays Level 6

A Sub Inspector is the first supervisory rank in police work. In Delhi Police, SIs are investigating officers: they register FIRs, investigate cases, and lead teams of Constables and Head Constables. In the CAPFs, SIs usually command a section or platoon on operations, border duty, or security assignments.

That supervisory role is why SIs start at Level 6, three levels above a Constable at Level 3. In practice, a new SI’s basic pay is ₹13,700 higher than a new Constable’s.

Promotion and Pay Growth

SIs usually become Inspectors, at Level 7 with a starting basic of ₹44,900, after several years of service, depending on vacancies. In the CAPFs, experienced Inspectors can later move into gazetted officer ranks through departmental selection.

If promotion doesn’t come, MACP still moves you to the next pay level after 10, 20, and 30 years of service.

State Police Sub Inspectors

State police SIs are paid under their own state’s pay commission and allowance rules. Many states set SI basic pay at a similar level to the central Level 6. However, DA rates, HRA slabs, and special police allowances differ from state to state, so in-hand pay can vary considerably.

For a specific state, use the pay scale printed in that state’s recruitment notification rather than a national average.

FAQs

Q1.  What is a Sub Inspector’s salary per month in 2026?

A. A central SI through SSC CPO takes home about ₹58,000–76,000 a month, depending on the force, the city, and whether they live in government accommodation or draw hardship allowance.

Q2. What is the basic pay of an SSC CPO Sub Inspector?

A. ₹35,400 a month at Pay Level 6, rising through annual increments up to ₹1,12,400. This applies to both Delhi Police SI (Executive) and CAPF SI (GD) posts.

Q3. Does a CAPF Sub Inspector get ration money?

A. Yes. SIs are non-gazetted ranks, so CAPF SIs receive ration money of about ₹4,558 a month at the 2025-26 rate. Gazetted officers, from Assistant Commandant upward, don’t receive it.

Q4. How many vacancies are there in SSC CPO 2026?

A. There are 1,871 tentative vacancies: 317 in Delhi Police, 1,320 CAPF SI (GD) posts, and 234 in the new CISF SI (Fire) post. That’s down from 4,187 in the previous cycle.

Q5. What is the last date to apply for SSC CPO 2026?

A. 30 September 2026, with fee payment allowed until 1 October. The application correction window runs from 8 to 10 October 2026.