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TNPSC Deputy Collector salary: Level 22 pay in Group 1

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

Deputy Collector is the largest post in the 2025 TNPSC Group 1 notification (No. 04/2025), with 28 of the 70 vacancies, and it is at Level 22 of the Tamil Nadu pay matrix. Level 22 runs from ₹56,100 to ₹1,77,500 a month in basic pay, and a direct recruit starts at ₹56,100. That is ₹19,200 above Level 18 of the Group 2 posts and almost three times the start of a Group 4 Junior Assistant.

Pay level and basic pay

The notification prints "Level 22" only. The rupee range is from Schedule-I of G.O. Ms. No. 303 (11 October 2017), summarised on the salary hub. All six Group 1 posts in the 2025 notification share Level 22, including DSP and Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Taxes).

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. Deductions include professional tax, income tax and the retirement-scheme contribution the post carries. Annual increments move pay one cell down Level 22 on 1 January, 1 April, 1 July or 1 October, according to the date you join. Official perquisites linked to a particular posting, such as housing or a vehicle, are set by government orders for that post, so the notification does not list them.

What a Deputy Collector does

The notification does not list duties. A Deputy Collector in the Revenue Department is typically placed in charge of a revenue division as Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), supervising tahsildars, handling land and revenue matters and appeals, exercising executive magistrate powers, and directing relief during floods and other disasters. Other postings include land acquisition, election and district administration roles.

Promotion

Deputy Collectors can rise within the Revenue Department to district-level posts such as Additional Collector and District Revenue Officer under the service rules and seniority. A State Civil Service officer can also be considered for appointment to the IAS by selection under the central promotion regulations, subject to eligibility and the vacancies available, so the post is a route to the IAS for some officers. Each promotion carries a higher pay level.

How to get the post

• Qualification: a degree, with post-specific conditions in para 4.2 of the notification.
• Prelims: one objective paper of 200 questions for 300 marks (General Studies 175 and Aptitude 25), used only for screening, with a qualifying score of 120 for Others and 90 for reserved categories.
• Mains: a qualifying Tamil Eligibility Test (100 marks, pass 40) and three General Studies papers of 250 marks each.
• Interview: 100 marks, so the final rank is on 850 marks.

Read the Group 1 exam pattern, the Group 1 syllabus and the Group 1 interview guide. TNPSC's 2026 planner lists a new Group 1 notification, so check the current notification for posts and vacancies.

Frequently asked questions

What is the starting salary of a Deputy Collector in TNPSC Group 1?

₹56,100 a month in basic pay at Level 22. Allowances are added and deductions taken off.

Is Deputy Collector the same as IAS?

No. Deputy Collector is a Tamil Nadu state service post recruited by TNPSC. IAS officers are recruited by the UPSC, though state civil service officers may be inducted into the IAS by promotion.

Do all Group 1 posts have the same pay?

In the 2025 notification, yes. Deputy Collector, DSP, Assistant Commissioner (Commercial Taxes), Assistant Director of Rural Development, District Employment Officer and Assistant Commissioner of Labour are all Level 22.

Official sources

• TNPSC Group 1 Notification No. 04/2025: posts, levels, age, qualification and scheme of examination.
• G.O. Ms. No. 303, Finance (Pay Cell), 11 October 2017: the pay matrix.

Check the latest Group 1 notification before applying.

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