CDS salary 2026: a Lieutenant draws basic Rs 56,100 at Pay Level 10 plus MSP Rs 15,500, DA 60% on Rs 71,600, approximate in-hand Rs 1.0 to 1.25 lakh, plus job profile and IMA vs OTA.
After clearing CDS and completing academy training, you are commissioned as a Lieutenant (or the Navy or Air Force equivalent) at 7th CPC Pay Level 10, with a basic pay of Rs 56,100 per month plus Military Service Pay (MSP) of Rs 15,500. Dearness Allowance (DA) is 60 percent on the basic plus MSP of Rs 71,600, and once you add DA, HRA and posting-based allowances, the approximate in-hand works out to about Rs 1.0 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh per month. Treat this as a range: it varies heavily by posting, city and the current DA rate. The exam is the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Indian Naval Academy (INA), Air Force Academy (AFA) and Officers Training Academy (OTA).
| Component | Amount or rate |
|---|---|
| Rank on commissioning | Lieutenant (or Navy or Air Force equivalent) |
| Pay Level (7th CPC) | Pay Level 10 |
| Basic pay | Rs 56,100 per month |
| Military Service Pay (MSP) | Rs 15,500 per month |
| Dearness Allowance (DA) | 60 percent on basic plus MSP (that is 60 percent on Rs 71,600) |
| Approximate in-hand | About Rs 1.0 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh per month (varies by posting and DA) |
Every figure here is anchored to the 7th Central Pay Commission and the 60 percent DA rate. In-hand is an approximate range before deductions, and rises further with field or high-altitude postings. We are not modelling any 8th Pay Commission projection here, only the pay in force.
A Lieutenant's in-hand salary in 2026 is approximately Rs 1.0 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh per month, built from basic Rs 56,100, MSP Rs 15,500, DA at 60 percent on the Rs 71,600 base (about Rs 42,960), plus House Rent Allowance (HRA) and any posting-linked allowance. The exact take-home varies heavily by posting, city and DA, so no single precise figure applies to everyone.
The allowances that lift the take-home above the base are added only when they apply to your posting:
Because these are posting-dependent, two officers of the same rank can take home very different amounts: an officer in a peace-station city posting and an officer at a high-altitude or Siachen posting are on the same basic but very different gross. That is why the honest answer is always a range, not a single number.
A CDS officer leads and commands troops or crew in one of the three services. In the Army you command a platoon and then a company; in the Navy you take on onboard and branch duties; in the Air Force you fly or run ground duties. The role is a leadership and operational one from day one, with responsibility for people, equipment and mission.
Across all three, the officer is a commissioned leader: the platoon or company command in the Army, the department or branch charge in the Navy, and the flying or ground role in the Air Force all carry command responsibility that grows with rank.
IMA, INA and AFA lead to a Permanent Commission (PC), a full career to retirement, while OTA Chennai leads to a Short Service Commission (SSC) of 10 years, extendable to 14 years, with the option to convert to a Permanent Commission. OTA is also the only academy that admits women and married candidates, so the commission type is the core difference between the two entries.
| Academy | Service | Commission type | Key point |
|---|---|---|---|
| IMA, Dehradun | Indian Army | Permanent Commission | Full career to retirement |
| INA | Indian Navy | Permanent Commission | Full career to retirement |
| AFA | Indian Air Force | Permanent Commission | Full career to retirement |
| OTA, Chennai | Army (Short Service) | Short Service Commission | 10 years, extendable to 14 years, PC conversion possible; admits women and married candidates |
For the CDS II 2026 cycle, the notification carries 451 vacancies, split across IMA 100, INA 32, AFA 32 and OTA 287. So the OTA (Short Service) route usually offers the largest share of seats, while IMA, INA and AFA offer the Permanent Commission entries. Confirm the exact vacancy split and eligibility in the live UPSC notification before you apply, since numbers move cycle to cycle.
During academy training at IMA, INA, AFA or OTA, you receive a fixed training stipend of Rs 56,100 per month (the Pay Level 10 basic), with no MSP until you are actually commissioned. MSP of Rs 15,500 and the full allowance structure begin from the date of commissioning, when your rank progression as an officer starts.
Two points on the training stipend are worth stating plainly, both period-anchored to the pay in force in 2026:
The officer rank ladder, with pay levels, runs as follows (timings vary by service and vacancies):
| Rank | Pay Level (7th CPC) |
|---|---|
| Lieutenant | Pay Level 10 |
| Captain | Pay Level 10 B |
| Major | Pay Level 11 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Pay Level 12 A |
| Colonel | Pay Level 13 |
| Brigadier | Pay Level 13 A |
Each promotion lifts the pay level and, with it, the basic and every percentage-linked allowance, so the gross climbs steadily across the career. The Navy and Air Force have their own equivalent ranks at the same pay levels.
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Confirm the latest pay, allowances, vacancies and dates in the official UPSC CDS notification before applying.
After CDS you are commissioned as a Lieutenant at 7th CPC Pay Level 10 with basic pay Rs 56,100 plus Military Service Pay (MSP) Rs 15,500. With DA at 60 percent on the Rs 71,600 base, plus HRA and posting allowances, the approximate in-hand is about Rs 1.0 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh per month, varying heavily by posting, city and the current DA rate.
A Lieutenant's approximate in-hand salary in 2026 is about Rs 1.0 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh per month: basic Rs 56,100, MSP Rs 15,500, DA at 60 percent on Rs 71,600, plus HRA and any Field, High Altitude or Siachen allowance that applies only when posted there. It is a range, not one fixed figure, because it varies heavily by posting and DA.
IMA Dehradun, INA and AFA lead to a Permanent Commission, a full career to retirement. OTA Chennai leads to a Short Service Commission of 10 years, extendable to 14 years, with the option to convert to a Permanent Commission. OTA is also the only academy that admits women and married candidates.
During training at IMA, INA, AFA or OTA you receive a fixed training stipend of Rs 56,100 per month, the Pay Level 10 basic, with no MSP until commissioning. MSP of Rs 15,500 and the full allowance structure begin from the date of commission, so the training in-hand is lower than the commissioned officer figure.
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CDS II 2026 carries 451 vacancies as per the notification, split across IMA 100, INA 32, AFA 32 and OTA 287. The OTA Short Service route usually offers the largest share of seats. Confirm the exact vacancy split and eligibility in the live UPSC notification before you apply, since numbers change each cycle.
