8th Pay Commission Approved: What to Expect for Salaries in 2026

8वां केंद्रीय वेतन आयोग जनवरी 2026 से वेतन को प्रभावित करेगा; अंतिम फिटमेंट फैक्टर लंबित

8th Pay Commission 2025: The 8th Pay Commission, recently announced by the government, will review and evaluate the existing pay structure of central government employees. Like the 6th and 7th Pay Commissions before it, the 8th Commission is expected to propose reforms aimed at improving the current system. Over time, the pay structure for central government employees has undergone considerable transformation. The 7th Pay Commission introduced a streamlined pay matrix, replacing the earlier grade pay system with clearly defined levels. Prior to that, the 6th Pay Commission implemented a system of pay bands and grade pay, moving away from the traditional fixed pay scales.

8th Pay Commission 2025: Highlights and Expectations

Title8th Pay Commission
Owned byCentral Government
BeneficiariesCG Employees
PurposeTo revise the salaries and allowances of central government employees and pensioners
Establishment Date16th January, 2025
Expected Date of Implementation1st January, 2026
Beneficiaries50 lakh central government employees and 65 lakh pensioners
Projected Fitment FactorBetween 2.6 and 2.86
Dearness AllowanceReset to zero upon implementation
Official Websitedoe.gov.in
Home PageClick Here

8th CPC Salary Structure 2025

Predicting the exact income increase under the 8th Pay Commission is difficult at this stage. However, experts estimate that basic salaries may see a rise of approximately 20% to 35%. Based on a 20% increase, the table below presents the projected salaries across various pay matrix levels.

Pay Matrix Level7th CPC Basic Salary8th CPC Basic Salary
Level 1₹18,000₹21,600
Level 2₹19,900₹23,880
Level 3₹21,700₹26,040
Level 4₹25,500₹30,600
Level 5₹29,200₹35,040
Level 6₹35,400₹42,480
Level 7₹44,900₹53,880
Level 8₹47,600₹57,120
Level 9₹53,100₹63,720
Level 10₹56,100₹67,320
Level 11₹67,700₹81,240
Level 12₹78,800₹94,560
Level 13₹1,23,100₹1,47,720
Level 13A₹1,31,100₹1,57,320
Level 14₹1,44,200₹1,73,040
Level 15₹1,82,200₹2,18,400
Level 16₹2,05,400₹2,46,480
Level 17₹2,25,000₹2,70,000
Level 18₹2,50,000₹3,00,000

Impact of the 8th Pay Commission 2025: Who Stands to Benefit

Nearly 50 lakh Central Government employees, including those serving in the defence forces, are set to benefit from the 8th Pay Commission. Additionally, approximately 65 lakh Central Government pensioners, including retired defence personnel, are expected to see enhanced benefits under the revised pay structure.

Tracing the Journey of Pay Commissions 2025

To gain a clearer understanding of the current situation, comparing the 8th Pay Commission with its predecessors sheds light on how the financial framework for government employees has evolved over time.

  • The 7th Pay Commission brought a major revamp of salary structures.
  • The 6th Pay Commission focused primarily on enhancing allowances.
  • The 5th Pay Commission prioritized pension reforms.
  • The 4th Pay Commission addressed adjustments related to inflation.

Calculating the Fitment Factor in the 8th CPC 2025

The fitment factor is a multiplier used to convert the existing pay scale of government employees from the old pay commission to the new one. It is applied to an employee’s current basic pay to calculate their revised pay according to the recommendations of the new pay commission. The fitment factor is determined based on the level of Dearness Allowance (DA) at the end of the previous pay commission’s period.

For example, the 7th Pay Commission period ends on December 31, 2025, and the 8th Pay Commission will come into effect starting January 1, 2026. The DA rate as of December 31, 2025, is therefore crucial in deciding the fitment factor. Suppose the DA rate at that time is 66%, and there is a 15% increase in the minimum pay after accounting for DA neutralization. In that case, the fitment factor for the 8th Pay Commission would be 1.89.