8th Pay Commission Salary Hike 2026: How basic pay of Level 1-5 central govt employees may rise at different fitment factors

According to the 7th Pay Commission pay matrix, central government employees are categorised into 18 levels. Level 1 kicks off with a Group D job and Level 18 is reserved for the cabinet secretary, the highest-ranking Indian Administrative Services officer in the central government. In between lies 16 groups that include Group D, C, B and A employees.

In a pay Commission, every level of employees looks forward to the revision of their basic salary and other allowances. A pay commission is set up every 10 years, giving many employees and pensioners a chance for significant increases in their basic payouts. In the 6th Pay Commission, the basic pay increased by 1.92 times due to a 1.92 fitment factor, while in the 7th CPC, the rise was 2.57 times following a 2.57 fitment factor.

Now the 8th Pay Commission has been set up, employees and pensioners are eagerly waiting for their payout increases. However, it may take almost two years before we know the quantum of payout revision.


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That said, we can get a rough idea about the expected rise by applying different fitment factors to the basic pays of employees. In this article, we will explore the possible salary hikes of Level 1-5 central government employees with the fitment factor at 1.92, 2.15 or 2.57.

How is the fitment factor formed for a pay commission?

Ramachandran Krishnamoorthy, Director - Payroll Services, Nexdigm, says the fitment factor is usually decided by the employer, pay commission, or the compensation committee based on several economic and organisational considerations.

It is typically formed by calculating the basic pay + grade pay and evaluating the required increment levels, says Krishnamoorthy.

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Some factors that determine the fitment factor are as below:

• Inflation and the cost of living index
• Higher inflation leading to higher fitment factor required.
• Committees commonly use CPI / CPI-IW trends.
• Total salary expenditure constraints
• Fiscal capacity or budget availability
• Industry salary surveys
• Market benchmarking
• Comparison with salaries in the private sector
• Competing organisations

What can be the fitment factor for the 8th Pay Commission?

According to Manjeet Singh Patel, National President of the All India NPS Employees Federation, a possible fitment factor for the 8th Pay Commission can be 2.13. This fitment factor includes current dearness allowance of 58%, a possible increase in DA till the 8th Pay Commission recommendations are implemented, annual pay hikes, count of family units (at 3.6).

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What is minimum basic pay for Level 1-5 central government employees?

7th Pay Commission
Employee Level	Minimum basic pay
1	₹ 18,000
2	₹ 19,900
3	₹ 21,700
4	₹ 25,500
5	₹ 29,200

What can be the revised basic pay for Level 1-5 employees at 1.92 fitment factor?

Employee Level	Minimum basic pay (at 1.92 fitment factor)
1	₹ 34,560
2	₹ 38,208
3	₹ 41,664
4	₹ 48,960
5	₹ 56,064

What can be the revised basic pay for Level 1-5 employees at 2.15 fitment factor?

Employee Level	Minimum basic pay (at 2.15 fitment factor)
1	₹ 38,700
2	₹ 42,785
3	₹ 46,655
4	₹ 54,825
5	₹ 62,780

What can be the revised basic pay for Level 1-5 employees at 2.57 fitment factor?

Employee Level	Minimum basic pay (at 2.57 fitment factor)
1	₹ 46,260
2	₹ 51,143
3	₹ 55,769
4	₹ 65,535
5	₹ 75,044