How much do government employees get paid?

Government jobs have long been valued in Bangladesh for their unique perks, such as job security, public facilities, and attractive salaries. Recently, these positions have become a focal point of significant social movements, particularly the quota reform movement. This movement has seen widespread protests, especially from students and young job seekers, demanding changes to the quota system that reserves a substantial percentage of government jobs for specific groups. 

Who are the government employees? 

Government employees are individuals who hold positions created and funded by the government. Their roles can vary widely, from secretaries and office assistants to directors and drivers. Non-military government employees are generally classified into two broad categories: cadre and non-cadre. All employees are further divided into 20 grades, reflecting their hierarchical position.

Grading breakdown

A 1st-grade employee is equivalent to a senior secretary/ secretary, while a 2nd-grade employee is similar to an additional secretary. A 3rd-grade employee is equivalent to a joint secretary, while a 5th-grade employee is equivalent to a deputy secretary. A senior assistant secretary is typically placed as a 6th-grade employee.

An assistant secretary, cameraman, producer, protocol officer, etcetera are considered 9th-grade employees. Again, a 10th-grade employee may be an assistant protocol officer, senior nurse staff, etcetera. 

In chronology, from 11th to 15th grade, the employees are equivalent to a estate inspector, assistant superintendent, imam, assistant security inspector and driver. 

From grade 16th to grade 20th, employees are equivalent to PPC operators, duplicating machine operators, security assistants, muazzin, and guards/cleaners (chronology). 

For example, a 4th-grade officer may be a professor in the Education cadre or an additional DIG in the police cadre, etcetera. But, again, a Police Superintendent may be a 5th-grade officer. 

What is a national pay scale? 

The national pay scale is the scale of salary that determines the basic monthly salary, monthly allowance, yearly bonus, etc. for the government employee. This typically includes all the facilities a government employee will receive based on their grades and other applicable conditions.  

In Bangladesh, the national pay scale is suggested by a pay commission which the government constitutes. This is usually revised when the government sees fit. Since the independence, there have been eight revisions to the pay scale. 

The latest gadget in effect at the time of this article is the National Pay Scale 2015. This is the 8th National Pay Scale, suggested by the 8th Pay Commission.

The remuneration and facilities of the President, Prime Minister or Parliament's Speaker do not fall under this grading system. Typically, they fall under the Remuneration and Privileges Act instead. 

Monthly basic salary

Government employees' salaries and other perks vary depending on their assigned grades. Each grade offers a different basic monthly salary range and additional perks such as allowances.  

The highest basic monthly salary is 78,000 BDT, while the lowest basic monthly salary is 8,250 BDT. Per basic rules, the highest monthly wage is offered to the 1st-grade employees, while the lowest monthly stipend is provided to the 20th-grade employees. 

A range of basic monthly salaries is decided within each grade as well. This is so because of the yearly increment an employee receives while in the same grade (e.g., not receiving a promotion towards a different grade). 

For example, if a 5th-grade employee does not receive a promotion to become a 4th-grade employee, but continues to work, then there will be an annual increment towards their basic monthly salary. 

Chart. National Pay Scale - 2015 as per the latest gadget. Please note that the structure may vary across different insitutions/ secretariats/ ministries. There may also be unique requirements for different types of employees in certain institutions. 

Monthly salary with allowance

Employees may receive allowances depending on factors such as their grade level eligibility, need, area of living, number of children, etc.

There is no proper way of determining the final sum salary a government employee receives per month (basic monthly salary and monthly allowances combined), as there are many variable factors such as allowances/ perks of house rent, medical subsidy, movement cost, etc. added as well. 

Although the pay commission is set to provide a monthly salary of 78,000 BDT at the highest, this may increase when allowances are considered. Differences in final salary may also differ due to other factors in different insitutions.

Other perks

Employees may receive allowances, privileges, or other benefits for various reasons. 

For instance, an employee may receive an allowance for house rent, depending on their living area and grade. Typically, their house rent allowance may be within 35% to 65% of their salary. The scale of allowance depends on the range of their monthly basic salary, and which corporation they live under. For instance, the scale of allowance for Dhaka City Corporation and Khulna City Corporation is different. 

A minimum of 1,500 BDT is offered to employees monthly for medical allowance. This allowance is 2,500 BDT for senior citizens (above 65 years). 

For each child of an employee, an allowance of at least 500 BDT per month is offered for their education. For two children, the allowance would be 1,000 BDT. This education allowance is limited to two children only. 

For the occasion of the Bengali New Year (Pohela Boishakh), employees will receive an allowance worth 20% of their salary.

There are unique perks based on employee posting and the relevant organisation. For instance, an employee of the Ministry of Water Resources/ other ministries receives extra allowance because of foreign allocation.

The army and the police receive perks such as rations for clothes, food, medicine, etc. 

Ultimately, the final payment isn't the same for everyone but is decided through many variables.