Salary by post · TNPSC

TNPSC Assistant Section Officer salary: Level 16 pay

By the PrepMatic team · Updated 9 Oct 2026 · 3 min read

Assistant Section Officer (ASO) in the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Service, working in the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (post code 2201), is at Level 16 of the pay matrix in the 2025 TNPSC Group 2 and 2A notification (No. 11/2025). Level 16 runs from ₹36,400 to ₹1,15,700 a month in basic pay, and a direct recruit starts at ₹36,400. The 2025 notification listed one vacancy for the post, so it is a rare opening.

Pay level and basic pay

The notification prints "Level 16" only; the range is from Schedule-I of G.O. Ms. No. 303 (11 October 2017), summarised on the salary hub. Group 2 posts sit well above Group 2A Assistants: the ASO's starting basic pay is ₹15,800 more than a Level 10 Assistant and ₹16,400 more than a Level 9 TNPSC Assistant.

What is added to basic pay

Dearness allowance is added on basic pay, and house rent allowance and any city compensatory allowance follow the place of posting, which here is the commission's office. The CPS marker means a monthly pension contribution is deducted, along with professional tax and income tax. Annual increments move pay one cell down Level 16 on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October, according to your joining date.

What an ASO does

The notification does not describe duties. In the Secretariat Service, an Assistant Section Officer works under a Section Officer in a section of the office: examining and processing files, putting up notes and drafts, supervising assistants and keeping the section's work on schedule.

Promotion

The Secretariat Service ladder runs from Assistant Section Officer through Section Officer to Under Secretary and Deputy Secretary level, subject to service rules, seniority and departmental tests. Each promotion carries a higher pay level.

Qualification

The notification accepts any one of three routes:

1. A Master's degree.
2. A Bachelor's degree and a Bachelor of General Law (B.G.L) degree.
3. A Bachelor's degree with First Class in any one of the parts.

For candidates belonging to SC, SC(A), ST, MBC/DC, BC and BCM categories, a Bachelor's degree is enough.

How to get the post

Group 2 has a common prelims for screening, then a Mains made of a qualifying Tamil Eligibility Test (100 marks, pass mark 40) and a descriptive General Studies paper of 300 marks (degree standard). Rank is on the General Studies paper alone; there is no interview in the 2025 scheme. The prelims is a single paper of 200 questions for 300 marks. Read the Group 2 exam pattern and the Group 2 syllabus.

Frequently asked questions

What is the starting salary of an Assistant Section Officer in TNPSC?

₹36,400 a month in basic pay at Level 16, before allowances and deductions.

Is the ASO post only in the TNPSC?

In the 2025 Group 2 notification, yes: the ASO post (code 2201) is listed under the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission.

Does Group 2 have an interview?

Not in the 2025 notification. The ranking is on the Mains General Studies paper, with the Tamil Eligibility Test as a qualifying paper.

Official sources

• TNPSC Group 2 and 2A Notification No. 11/2025: para 3.1 (posts and levels), 4.1 (age), 4.2 (qualification) and 6 (scheme).
• G.O. Ms. No. 303, Finance (Pay Cell), 11 October 2017: the pay matrix.

Check the latest notification for the current post list.

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