NDA Salary 2025, Check Highest salary of NDA officer and Job Profile

NDA salary 2024 is around INR 56,100 during their three-year training period, beginning at Level 10 of the pay matrix; in case of death, children's education allowances are everything in detail.

Table of Contents

Candidates should be aware of the details on the NDA Salary per month as per the 7th Pay Commission, which is a monthly stipend of INR. 56100/- per month as per level 10 of the matrix pay. Stipends, Grade Pay, Allowances, Promotion Avenues, and Retirement Benefits at the National Defense Academy will be covered in this post (NDA). For your rapid understanding, all information regarding the NDA compensation structure and position has been compiled and provided below.

UPSC NDA Salary 2025

NDA officer’s starting salary after training is ₹56,100. We have provided a breakdown of NDA starting salary as per the posts.

NDA Starting Salary
NDA Posts or Ranks	NDA Starting Salary of Officers (Per Month)
Lieutenant	INR 56,100/-
Captain	INR 61,300/-
Major	INR 69,400/-
Lieutenant Colonel	INR 1,21,200/-
Colonel	INR 1,30,600/-
Brigadier	INR 1,39,600/-
Major General	INR 1,44,200/-
Lt. General HAG Scale	INR 1,82,200/-
HAG+ Scale	INR 2,05,400/-
VCOAS/ Army Cdr/ Lt Gen (NFSG)	INR 2,25,000/-
COAS	INR 2,50,000/-

NDA In Hand Salary 2025

₹ 56,110 is the monthly salary of an NDA Officer during the training period. Candidates get a starting salary after joining the National Defense Academy. Salary increases based on experience and performance over time. The month-wise NDA salary is given below:

Captain: INR 61,300-1,93,900
Major: INR 6,94,00-2,07,200
Lieutenant Colonel: INR 1,21,200-2,12,400

Highest Salary of NDA Officer

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) post has the highest salary of ₹ 2,50,000/- (Level 18) in NDA. The compensation varies for different posts such as for the post of Lieutenant, it could be ₹1,77,500 per month, while for Major General, it is ₹2,18,200/- pm.

Candidates can check NDA Syllabus 2025 Here!

NDA Training Period Salary

NDA Salary Per Month during Training
Fixed Stipend	Stipend Amount	Pay Level
Stipend to male/female Cadets during the entire duration of training in Service Academies i.e. during the training period at IMA.	Rs 56,100/-p.m.*	Starting pay in Level 10

NDA Rank-wise Salary 2025

The NDA Officer salary differs for the ranks in the three defence wings:

Army
Navy
Air Force

Rank-Wise NDA Salary
NDA Posts or Ranks	Salary of NDA Officer (Per Month)
Training Period Stipend	INR 56,100/
Lieutenant	INR 56,100/- to INR 1,77, 500/-
Captain	INR 61,300/- to 01,93,900/-
Major	INR 69,400/- to 02,07,200/-
Lieutenant Colonel	INR 1,21,200/- to 02,12,400/-
Colonel	INR 1,30,600/- to 02,15,900/-
Brigadier	INR 1,39,600/- to 02,17,600/-
Major General	INR 1,44,200/- to 02,18,200/-
Lt. General HAG Scale	INR 1,82,200/- to 02,24,100/-
HAG+ Scale	INR 2,05,400/- To 02,24,400/-
VCOAS/ Army Cdr/ Lt Gen (NFSG)	INR 2,25,000/- Fixed
COAS	INR 2,50,000/- Fixed

NDA Job Profile

The National Defense Academy, an inter-service institution, provides preliminary academic and physical training to candidates for a period of three years once they have been selected after passing the NDA exam. All three cadet wings—Air Force, Army, and Navy—share the same training throughout the first two and a half years. Following their training, the cadets will receive the following degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University Delhi:

Armed Forces Cadets: B.Sc/B.Sc (Computer)/B.A.
Naval Cadets: B. Tech Degree
Air Force Cadets: B. Tech Degree/B.Sc/B.Sc (Computer)

NDA Naval Cadets Salary

Naval Cadets are recruited for the Navy’s Executive Branch after graduating from the National Defense Academy. They will receive additional training at the Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala for a complete year before being promoted to the rank of Sub Lieutenant.
Selected applicants for the Naval Academy under the 10+2 Cadet Entry Scheme will be enrolled in a four-year B.Tech programme as Cadets under Naval requirements. Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) will confer a B. Tech degree upon course completion.

NDA Air Force Salary

Flying training for Air Force Cadets will be for 1½ years. After a year, they will also get a provisional commission at the rank of Flying Officer. They will be inducted as permanent commissioned officers after six months on a one-year probationary basis.
For one year, Air Force Ground Duties Branch Cadets will undergo stream-based specialist training. After a year, they will also get a provisional commission at the rank of Flying Officer. They will then be inducted as permanent commissioned officers after a year of probation.

Army Officers and Equivalent Ranks in Air Force & Navy

Fixed Stipend for Cadet Training: Rs. 56,100/-p.m.* stipend given to male and female Cadets throughout their training in Service academies, i.e., during their time in IMA.

Note: *The pay in the pay matrix of the officer commissioned shall be fixed in the first cell of Level 10 on such successful commissioning. The training period shall not be treated as commissioned service, and cadets shall be paid any arrears on account of admissible allowances, as applicable, for the training period.

NDA Pay Scale

NDA Rank	NDA Salary
Lieutenant to Major	Lt: Level 10 (Rs. 56,100- Rs. 1,77,500) Captain: Level 10 B (61,300-1,93,900) Major: Level 11 (69,400-2,07,200)
Lieutenant Colonel to Major General	Lt Col: Level 12A (1,21,200 2,12,400) Col: Level 13 (1,30,600-2,15,900) Brig: Level 13A (Rs. 1,39,600-2,17,600) Major General – Level 14 (1,44,200-2,18,200)
Lieutenant General HAG Scale	Level 15 (Rs. 1, 82, 200- Rs. 2,24,100)
HAG+ Scale	Level 16 (Rs. 2,05,400 – Rs. 2,24,400)
Vice Chief of Army Staff/Army Commander/ Lieutenant General (NFSG)	Level 17 (Rs. 2,25,000) (fixed)
Chief of Army Staff	Level 18 (Rs. 2,50,000) (fixed)

Flying Allowance: The flying allowance for Army Aviators (Pilots) working for the Army Aviation Corps is Rs 25,000 per month.

NDA Other Allowance

Allowances to NDA Officers	Amount Payable
Dearness Allowance	Admissible at the same rates and under the same conditions as apply to civilian personnel from time to time.
Kit Maintenance Allowances	INR 20,000/- Annually with Dress Allowances
Para Allowance	Rs 10,500/- Per Month
Special Forces Allowance	Rs 25,000/- Per Month
Para Jump Instructor Allowance	Rs 10,500/- Per Month
Project Allowance	Rs 3,400/- Per Month
Para Reserve Allowance	Rs 2,625/- Per Month
Technical Allowance (Tier-I)	Rs 3,000/- Per Month
Technical Allowance (Tier-II)	Rs 4,500/- Per Month

Field Area Allowances: According to their posting area, officers also get the Field Area Allowance. As follows:

Field Area Allowances
Highly Active Field Area Allowance – HAFA	Rs 16,900/- pm
Field Area Allowance – FD Area	Rs 10,500/- pm
Modified Field Area Allowance – Mod FD Area	Rs 6,300/- pm

NDA Allowances For High Altitude

Candidates selected for Siachen postings receive a Siachen Allowance of Rs 42,500 per month. The following allowances will be given to officers stationed in high-altitude areas like Siachen:-

NDA Allowances For High Altitude
Category-I	Rs 3400/- Per Month
Category-II	Rs 5,300/- Per Month
Category-III	Rs 25,000/- Per Month

NDA Allowance for Transport (TPTA)

Level	Higher TPTA Cities	Other Places
9 and Above	Rs. 7200/ Rs + DA thereon (Per month)	Rs. 3600/Rs + DA thereon (Per month)

Children Education Allowance

Only the two surviving children receive a monthly allowance of Rs. 2250 each. CEA is permitted from Nursery to 12th Class.

Hostel Subsidy

Cadets receive a hotel subsidy of Rs. 6,750 per month for each of their two eldest children who survive. Up to the 12th grade, students are eligible for the hostel subsidy.

NDA Salary for Case of Disablement

Ex-gratia compensation of Rs. 9,000 per month.
A prorated reduction will apply if the degree of disablement is less than 100%, but an ex-gratia disability award at the rate of Rs. 16200 per month will also be paid in addition to 100% of the disability during the time of disablement.
For individuals who are completely disabled, the Invaliding Medical Board may suggest Constant Attendant Allowance (CCA) at a monthly rate of Rs. 6750.

NDA Salary for Case of Death

12.5 lakh rupees in ex-gratia payments to the NoK.
The NoK will get an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 9000 monthly.
Ex-gratia rewards to Cadets (Direct) and NoK must be sanctioned solely on an ex-gratia basis; they cannot be used as a substitute for pension for any purpose.

IAS vs NDA Salary

Factors	IAS Salary	NDA Officer Salary
Basic Pay	Rs. 56,100 – Rs. 2,50,000 per month	Rs. 56,100 – Rs. 1,30,600 per month; 1,30,600 per month for Colonel
Allowances	House rent, travel, medical, and more	Dearness, travel, accommodation, and more
Job Role	Administration and management of government departments and organizations	Security and defense of the country
Recruitment	Civil Services Examination	National Defence Academy Examination
Hierarchy	Varies based on seniority and position	Varies based on rank and position in the armed forces

NDA Promotion Opportunities

To understand the NDA promotions offered to officers in the Air Force, Army, and Navy depending on their performance and years of service, aspirants who want to serve the country can check through the list.

Minimum Service Required for Promotion	Indian Army	Indian Navy	Indian Air Force
On being Commissioned	Lieutenant	Sub Lieutenant	Flying Officer
After 2 years of service	Captain	Lieutenant	Flight Lieutenant
After 6 years of service	Major	Lt Commander	Squadron Leader
13 years of service	Lieutenant Colonel	Commander	Wing Commander
On Selection	Colonel(Selection)	Captain (Selection)	Group Captain (Selection)
26 years of service	Colonel (Time Scale)	Captain (Time Scale)	Group Captain (Time Scale)
On Selection	Brigadier	Commodore	Air Commodore
On Selection	Major General	Rear Admiral	Air Vice-Marshal
On Selection	Lieutenant General	Vice Admiral	Air Marshal
On Selection	General	Admiral	Air Chief Marshal

Candidates can solve the NDA Previous Year Question Paper Here!

NDA Salary 2024 FAQs

What is the salary after NDA?

The NDA Officer Salary at the Lieutenant rank (i.e after completing training) is between INR 56,100 and 1,77,500.

Does NDA students get paid?

Yes, NDA students get a stipend every month during the training period.

What is the highest post in NDA?

The Chief of Army Staff, or Level 18, receives the highest pay (Rs. 2,50,000).

What is the salary of IAS and NDA?

The NDA Cadets receive a fixed stipend of INR 56,100 per month during the training duration. An IAS Officer may earn between Rs. 56,100 and Rs. 2,50,000 annually as salary.