There is no single national Panchayat Secretary salary, because each state sets pay for this post under its own pay rules. The verified figures span a wide band. Himachal Pradesh pays job trainees a consolidated ₹12,500 a month, while a research essay based on secretary interviews reported about ₹60,000 a month in Kerala against ₹15,000 in Chhattisgarh. Where a state publishes a pay level or scale, a new secretary’s basic pay generally starts between roughly ₹14,000 and ₹23,000, before DA, HRA and other allowances.
This guide gives the state-wise snapshot, shows how to turn a pay scale into an in-hand estimate, and flags figures that are old, disputed or changing.
Panchayat Secretary salary per month: state-wise snapshot
| State | Designation | Pay structure (basic) | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala | Secretary, Grama Panchayat | ₹36,600–₹79,200 (2016 order); about ₹60,000/month reported in 2022 | Post-2019 scale not verified | LSGD order (Dec 2016); Seminar (2023) |
| Tamil Nadu | Village Panchayat Secretary | Pay Level 2: ₹15,900–₹50,400 | 1,483 posts notified in 2025 | TNRD 2025 recruitment coverage |
| Telangana | Panchayat Secretary / Junior Panchayat Secretary | JPS raised from ₹15,000 to ₹28,719 (GO Ms 26, July 2021); regular scale reported from ₹22,460 | Sources disagree; check the GO | Teachersbadi; CollegeSearch |
| Andhra Pradesh | Panchayat Secretary Gr-V / Gr-VI | ₹15,030–₹46,060 / ₹14,600–₹44,870; ₹15,000 consolidated for 2 years | 2015 scales; later revision not verified | GO Ms 148 (2019) |
| Himachal Pradesh | Panchayat Secretary | ₹12,500 consolidated (job trainee) | Regular scale not verified | HPRCA Advt. 04/2026 |
| Assam | Gaon Panchayat Secretary | Pay Band 2: ₹14,000–₹60,500 + grade pay | Grade pay amount not confirmed | PNRD recruitment (2020) |
| Bihar | Panchayat Sachiv (to be renamed) | Level 3: ₹21,700–₹69,100 | ₹4,200 grade pay agreed May 2026 | BSSC 2026 notice; Patna Press |
| Punjab | Panchayat Secretary | ₹10,300–₹34,800 + ₹3,200 grade pay (2020) | Pre-revised scale; cadre merger proposed | Tribune (2020); Punjab bill (Aug 2026) |
| West Bengal | Secretary (Gram Panchayat) | Level 6: ₹22,700–₹58,500 | Basic pay only | Testbook (June 2026) |
Why the same job pays so differently
Pay rules are set state by state. Tamil Nadu moved to a level-based pay matrix in 2017, with Level 1 starting at ₹15,700. Kerala runs its own revision cycle, and its 11th pay revision applied from 1 July 2019, so older Kerala scales are out of date.
The route into the post differs. Kerala fills the post through Kerala PSC recruitment or departmental promotion. In Bihar, researchers were told the last direct recruitment was in 1999, and many secretaries had been promoted from dalpati, village-level worker or head-clerk posts.
Workload and staffing differ. India has about 1.79 lakh secretaries for 2.65 lakh panchayats. Kerala, West Bengal and Karnataka have roughly one per panchayat, while in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana one secretary covers many. A same-titled post can therefore be a very different job.
Also Read: Highest Salary Jobs In India
How to read any Panchayat Secretary salary figure
A quoted salary has three layers, and many websites blur them.
Pay structure.
This is a pay-matrix level (Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal), an older pay band plus grade pay (Assam, Punjab), or a state revision scale (Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh). The first number of a scale is a new joiner’s basic pay. The last number is a ceiling reached after many years.
Allowances.
DA, HRA and travel allowance sit on top of basic pay, and some are state-specific. Bihar’s May 2026 settlement included a minimum transport allowance of ₹2,000 a month. A 2015 Tamil Nadu order sanctioned a ₹1,000 monthly special allowance for MGNREGS-related duties.
Trainee or consolidated pay. S
ome states pay a flat amount first. Andhra Pradesh pays direct recruits ₹15,000 consolidated for two years before the regular scale, and Himachal Pradesh lists Panchayat Secretary (Job Trainee) at ₹12,500 consolidated.
Worked example (illustrative).
The starting point is Bihar’s Level 3 entry basic. The DA, HRA and deduction rates are assumptions, so replace them with your state’s current rates.
| Component | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pay | Level 3 entry | ₹21,700 |
| DA (assumed 50%) | 50% × 21,700 | ₹10,850 |
| HRA (assumed 8%) | 8% × 21,700 | ₹1,736 |
| Transport allowance | Bihar minimum (May 2026) | ₹2,000 |
| Gross | ₹36,286 | |
| Deductions (assumed 10% of basic + DA) | 10% × 32,550 | ₹3,255 |
| In-hand estimate | ≈ ₹33,031 |
State-by-state breakdown
Kerala: Grama Panchayat Secretary salary
A December 2016 order from the Director of Panchayats promoted Assistant Secretaries and Junior Superintendents to Secretary, Grama Panchayat, in the ₹36,600–₹79,200 scale. That scale predates the 2019 revision. Interviews reported in the 2023 Seminar essay put Kerala secretaries’ pay near ₹60,000 a month. Check the latest LSGD pay order for the current scale.
Tamil Nadu: Village Panchayat Secretary salary
The post sits in Pay Level 2, which recruitment coverage gives as ₹15,900 to ₹50,400. The TNRD notified 1,483 vacancies in 2025, and Krishnagiri district took applications from 10 October to 9 November 2025.
Telangana: Panchayat Secretary and Junior Panchayat Secretary
The government raised Junior Panchayat Secretaries’ consolidated ₹15,000 a month to ₹28,719 under GO Ms 26 of 15 July 2021, and extended the contract period from three to four years. Researchers describe the July 2021 reform as equalising their pay with regular Panchayat Secretaries. For the regular scale, one aggregator reports ₹22,460–₹66,330 under the state’s PRC. That figure and the ₹28,719 come from different secondary sources and don’t reconcile cleanly, so the GO itself is the authority.
Andhra Pradesh: Panchayat Secretary Grade V and Grade VI
GO Ms 148 (27 September 2019) set Grade V at ₹15,030–₹46,060 and Grade VI (Digital Assistant) at ₹14,600–₹44,870. These are 2015-revision scales, and any later revision is not verified here. Andhra Pradesh also built a village secretariat system. Each village secretariat has 11 functionaries, so check which secretary post a notification means.
Himachal Pradesh: Panchayat Secretary
The March 2026 HPRCA advertisement offers Panchayat Secretary posts on a job-trainee basis at ₹12,500 a month consolidated. The regular scale after the trainee period is not confirmed, so check the department’s notifications at hppanchayat.nic.in.
Assam: Gaon Panchayat Secretary salary
The 2020 PNRD recruitment advertised 578 of its 1,004 vacancies for Gaon Panchayat Secretary and required a commerce degree. The pay is in Pay Band 2 of ₹14,000–₹60,500 plus grade pay. Assam still issues orders in the pay band plus grade pay format, for example a 2023 PNRD order for multi-tasking staff, so don’t expect a Level 1–18 matrix figure.
Bihar: what changed in 2026
The January 2026 BSSC notice for 3,532 Panchayat Sachiv posts listed a ₹21,700–₹69,100 scale and asked for 12th pass with typing skills. In May 2026, more than 4,500 secretaries ended a 50-day strike after the government agreed to ₹4,200 grade pay, graduation as minimum qualification, the new designation “Gram Panchayat Raj Officer” and a ₹2,000 minimum transport allowance. The same agreement removed the upper age limit for promotion to Block Panchayati Raj Officer. On the standard 7th Pay Commission conversion, ₹4,200 grade pay corresponds to Level 6. The implementing order will confirm Bihar’s actual new basic pay. A promotion goes to the BPRO post, which BPSC pay tables list at Level 7 with ₹4,600 grade pay.
Punjab: Panchayat Secretary and the proposed new cadre
The latest scale I could verify is from a 2020 cabinet note. It put Panchayat Secretaries at ₹10,300–₹34,800 with ₹3,200 grade pay, a pre-revised scale. In August 2026, a Punjab Panchayati Raj amendment bill proposed a “Panchayat Development Secretary” created by merging the Panchayat Secretary and Gram Sewak cadres. A CAG audit report on Punjab’s panchayati raj institutions showed 2,406 sanctioned secretary posts with 940 vacant (39.07%).
West Bengal: Gram Panchayat Secretary salary
The Secretary (GP) post is at Pay Level 6 with ₹22,700–₹58,500, and requires Higher Secondary. These are basic-pay figures under the state’s 2019 pay revision, with allowances on top.
Also Read: Manav Sampada UP
Mistakes that make salary figures wrong
- Mixing up states. JSSC is the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission, so its Level 4 figures aren’t Bihar’s.
- Treating trainee pay as the regular salary. Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Telangana have all paid flat amounts first.
- Quoting the ceiling as the salary. Top-of-scale numbers are reached after many years.
- Using stale scales. J&K’s cabinet approved a pay-level upgrade for Panchayat Secretaries in December 2025, after a long demand to move from Level 2 to Level 4.
Five-step check before you trust a number
- Find the latest recruitment notice or pay order from your state’s Panchayati Raj department, not an aggregator.
- Note the pay structure type and the entry basic.
- Check whether the first years are consolidated or trainee pay.
- Add DA, HRA and travel allowance at your state’s current rates.
- Subtract deductions such as NPS or GPF and professional tax.
FAQs
Is a Panchayat Secretary elected like a sarpanch?
No. Secretaries are appointed by state governments through exams and recruitment boards, not elected. They act as executive head of the panchayat secretariat.
What qualification do states ask for?
It varies. Bihar’s 2026 agreement fixes graduation as the minimum, Assam asked for a commerce degree, and West Bengal lists Higher Secondary.
How does a Panchayat Secretary’s pay grow?
Through annual increments and promotion. In Andhra Pradesh some vacancies are filled by promotion from Grade VI to Grade V. In Telangana, Junior Panchayat Secretaries are regularised as Panchayat Secretary Grade IV after satisfactory performance. In Bihar the next step is Block Panchayati Raj Officer.
Bottom line: the Panchayat Secretary salary depends on the state’s pay level, the first-years pay arrangement and local allowances, not on the job title. Check your own state’s latest notice before relying on any figure.
For more detailed information about salaries, income, and earnings across different professions, you can also check out our salary-focused resource, Salary Batao.
