Nepal Army Salary 2083/84: Rank-Wise Pay Scale & Allowances

SalaryInBox

January 7, 2025 6 min read

Nepal Army Salary 2083/84: Rank-Wise Pay Scale & Allowances

Quick answer

From Shrawan 1, 2083, Nepal Army basic pay ranges from Rs 28,690 for a new Sipahi to Rs 90,594 for the Chief of Army Staff. A Second Lieutenant gets Rs 48,058. A Rs 5,000 dearness allowance and a 10% incentive allowance are paid on top.

Starting salary scales rose 10% from Shrawan 1, 2083 (MoF circular 2083/04/20).
Each grade equals one day's pay; Sipahi rises from Rs 28,690 to Rs 36,338 with 8 grades.
Allowances on top: Rs 5,000 dearness allowance plus a new 10% monthly incentive allowance.

From Shrawan 1, 2083 (mid-July 2026), a Nepal Army Sipahi (Private) starts at Rs 28,690 a month and can rise to Rs 36,338 with grades. A Second Lieutenant (सहायक सेनानी) gets Rs 48,058, and the Chief of Army Staff gets Rs 90,594. These are the new FY 2083/84 basic scales published by the Ministry of Finance. They are 10% higher than last year's. A Rs 5,000 dearness allowance and a new 10% monthly incentive allowance are paid on top.

Source: Ministry of Finance circular 2083/04/20, Annex 2 (Nepali Army). The figures are monthly and in Nepali rupees. They show basic salary only, before allowances and deductions.

What changed in the 2083/84 Nepal Army salary?

Basic pay up 10%: The FY 2083/84 budget raised starting salary scales by 10% for civil servants, the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, APF, teachers and other public employees. The Cabinet approved the new scales on 2083/04/06, and they apply from Shrawan 1, 2083.
New 10% incentive allowance (प्रोत्साहन भत्ता): A monthly allowance equal to 10% of the revised salary scale. The government presents it as the start of performance-based pay.
Grade amount = one day's salary: Each grade is equal to one day's pay (starting scale ÷ 30). For example, the COAS grade rate is Rs 2,831.
Dearness allowance unchanged at Rs 5,000/month. It was raised to Rs 5,000 in the FY 2082/83 budget.
2082/83 had no basic-pay increase. The scales in force in 2081/82 and 2082/83 were the same. The 2083/84 scale is the first raise since then. For example, the COAS starting scale went from Rs 77,211 to Rs 84,932.

Nepal Army salary list 2083/84 (rank-wise)

Official Nepali Army pay scale effective Shrawan 1, 2083 (Rs per month):

#	Rank (English)	Rank (Nepali)	Starting basic	Grades	Grade rate	Basic with all grades
1	General (Chief of Army Staff)	प्रधानसेनापति	84,932	2	2,831	90,594
2	Lieutenant General	रथी	81,643	2	2,721	87,085
3	Major General	उपरथी	79,290	2	2,643	84,576
4	Brigadier General	सहायक रथी	67,045	5	2,235	78,220
5	Colonel	महासेनानी	62,466	5	2,082	72,876
6	Lieutenant Colonel	प्रमुख सेनानी	57,507	6	1,917	69,009
7	Major	सेनानी	53,611	8	1,787	67,907
8	Captain	सह-सेनानी	51,929	6	1,731	62,315
9	Lieutenant	उप-सेनानी	49,613	6	1,654	59,537
10	Second Lieutenant	सहायक सेनानी	48,058	–	–	48,058
11	Officer Cadet	अधिकृत क्याडेट	47,960	–	–	47,960
12	Honorary Captain	मानार्थ सह-सेनानी	47,603	–	–	47,603
13	Honorary Lieutenant	मानार्थ उप-सेनानी	46,628	–	–	46,628
14	Subedar Major	प्रमुख सुबेदार	45,098	3	1,503	49,607
15	Subedar (Warrant Officer First Class)	सुबेदार	38,203	7	1,273	47,114
16	Jamadar (Warrant Officer Second Class)	जमदार	36,142	6	1,205	43,372
17	Sergeant (Hudda)	हुद्दा	31,372	6	1,046	37,648
18	Corporal (Amaldar)	अमलदार	30,373	7	1,012	37,457
19	Lance Corporal (Pyuth)	प्यूठ	29,297	8	977	37,113
20	Private (Sipahi)	सिपाही	28,690	8	956	36,338
21	Recruit	रिक्रुट	27,172	–	–	27,172
22	Non-combatant	नन् कम्बाटेण्ट	27,172	10	906	36,232

How to read this table: "Starting basic" is the scale for the post. "Grades" is the number of grade steps for that rank in the schedule, and "Basic with all grades" = starting basic + (grades × grade rate). New entrants start at the starting basic and add grade amounts with service. Grades are earned annually; one grade step is added per completed year of satisfactory service until the rank's maximum grade cap is reached. Media reports quote the "with all grades" column as the rank's salary (for example, COAS Rs 90,594 and Sipahi Rs 36,338).

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Estimated monthly pay with allowances (2083/84)

This is an estimate of gross monthly pay before tax, deductions and rank- or posting-specific allowances. It uses this formula: basic with all grades + 10% incentive allowance (10% of the starting scale) + Rs 5,000 dearness allowance. With this method the COAS total comes to Rs 1,04,087, which matches the figure Kantipur reported.

Rank	Basic with all grades	Incentive (10%)	Dearness allowance	Est. gross / month
General (COAS)	90,594	8,493	5,000	≈ 1,04,087
Lieutenant General	87,085	8,164	5,000	≈ 1,00,249
Major General	84,576	7,929	5,000	≈ 97,505
Brigadier General	78,220	6,704	5,000	≈ 89,924
Colonel	72,876	6,247	5,000	≈ 84,123
Lieutenant Colonel	69,009	5,751	5,000	≈ 79,760
Major	67,907	5,361	5,000	≈ 78,268
Captain	62,315	5,193	5,000	≈ 72,508
Lieutenant	59,537	4,961	5,000	≈ 69,498
Second Lieutenant	48,058	4,806	5,000	≈ 57,864
Officer Cadet	47,960	4,796	5,000	≈ 57,756
Subedar Major	49,607	4,510	5,000	≈ 59,117
Subedar	47,114	3,820	5,000	≈ 55,934
Jamadar	43,372	3,614	5,000	≈ 51,986
Sergeant (Hudda)	37,648	3,137	5,000	≈ 45,785
Corporal (Amaldar)	37,457	3,037	5,000	≈ 45,494
Lance Corporal (Pyuth)	37,113	2,930	5,000	≈ 45,043
Private (Sipahi)	36,338	2,869	5,000	≈ 44,207

Take-home pay will be lower after income tax/social security tax and other deductions. Ration, clothing, field/risk and remote-area allowances are extra and depend on the posting.

Second lieutenant salary in Nepal (सहायक सेनानी)

A Second Lieutenant in the Nepal Army earns a basic salary of Rs 48,058 per month from Shrawan 1, 2083. The schedule gives no grade steps for this rank. With the Rs 5,000 dearness allowance and the 10% incentive allowance (≈ Rs 4,806), estimated gross monthly pay is about Rs 57,864. The rank is equivalent in starting scale to a gazetted third-class officer (Section Officer level) in the civil service. Both start at Rs 48,058.

Officer cadet salary in Nepal Army

An Officer Cadet (अधिकृत क्याडेट) is paid Rs 47,960 per month under the 2083/84 scale. That is just below a Second Lieutenant. Cadets are commissioned as Second Lieutenants after training.

Lieutenant and captain salary in Nepal Army

Lieutenant (उप-सेनानी): starts at Rs 49,613, with 6 grades at Rs 1,654, up to Rs 59,537.
Captain (सह-सेनानी): starts at Rs 51,929, with 6 grades at Rs 1,731, up to Rs 62,315.

Nepal Army major salary

A Major (सेनानी) starts at Rs 53,611 and has 8 grades of Rs 1,787 each. That gives up to Rs 67,907 basic, or about Rs 78,268 with the incentive and dearness allowances.

Nepal Army sipahi (jawan) salary per month

A Sipahi (Private) starts at Rs 28,690 per month and can reach Rs 36,338 with 8 grades of Rs 956. With the Rs 5,000 dearness allowance and the 10% incentive (≈ Rs 2,869), gross monthly pay is about Rs 44,207 at the top of the grade range. A Recruit (रिक्रुट) in training is paid Rs 27,172.

Nepal Army salary vs civil service (equivalent posts)

The army scale matches civil-service scales in the same MoF circular (Annex 1):

Nepal Army rank	Civil service equivalent (same starting scale)	Starting basic
General (COAS)	Chief Secretary (मुख्य सचिव)	84,932
Major General	Gazetted Special Class (Secretary)	79,290
Colonel	Gazetted First Class (Joint Secretary)	62,466
Major	Gazetted Second Class (Under Secretary)	53,611
Second Lieutenant	Gazetted Third Class (Section Officer)	48,058
Subedar	Non-gazetted First Class (Nayab Subba)	38,203
Sipahi	Non-gazetted Fourth Class	28,690

Allowances and benefits for Nepal Army personnel

Verified for 2083/84:

Dearness allowance (महँगी भत्ता): Rs 5,000 per month (unchanged from 2082/83).
Incentive allowance (प्रोत्साहन भत्ता): 10% of the revised salary scale, paid monthly. This is new in 2083/84.
Grade amount: Each grade is equal to one day's salary.

Other benefits. These are described qualitatively; confirm current amounts with the Nepali Army:

Ration allowance / rations: 5,500 to 6,500 per month
Uniform/clothing allowance: Rs. 2,000 to 3,000 per month
Field, risk and remote-area allowances, depending on deployment: Risk Allowance = Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,500 per month, Field/Remote Area allowance: Rs 2,500 to Rs 8,000 per month
UN peacekeeping allowance during UN missions. This is paid under UN arrangements and is separate from the Nepal pay scale. Paid in USD directly under UN operational arrangements. Rates currently range from ~USD 1,114/month for enlisted ranks (Sipahi/Jawan) up to ~USD 1,400–1,500+/month for senior officers.
Medical treatment for personnel and families through the Nepali Army's health services. Families include spouses, unmarried children, and dependent parents.
Dashain festival allowance equal to one month's basic salary for Nepal Army, as for civil servants.
Pension and gratuity on retirement. These are based on the basic scale, so pensions also rise with the 2083/84 scale (pensioners get the 10% increase but not the incentive allowance).

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Is Nepal Army salary taxable?

Yes. Army salaries are salaried income and are taxed under Nepal's personal income tax slabs. Basic salary, grade increments, incentive allowances, and festival bonuses are fully taxable under standard personal income tax slabs. Ration allowances and operational risk/field allowances provided in-kind or for active deployment are generally treated as tax-exempt operational reimbursements rather than taxable salary income.

Nepal Army aviation group (विमान सम्भार समूह) salary 2083/84

Rank	Starting basic	Grades	Grade rate	With all grades
Pilot Major General (पाइलट उपरथी)	84,853	2	2,828	90,509
Brigadier General (सहायक रथी)	77,798	5	2,593	90,763
Colonel (महासेनानी)	69,600	5	2,320	81,200
Lieutenant Colonel (प्रमुख सेनानी)	67,944	6	2,265	81,534
Major (सेनानी)	64,844	8	2,161	82,132
Captain (सह-सेनानी)	60,050	6	2,002	72,062
Lieutenant (उप-सेनानी)	57,659	6	1,922	69,191
Senior Subedar (वरिष्ठ सुबेदार)	47,893	7	1,596	59,065
Subedar (सुबेदार)	40,176	7	1,339	49,549
Jamadar (जमदार)	39,417	6	1,314	47,301
Hudda (हुद्दा)	34,155	6	1,139	40,989
Amaldar (अमलदार)	31,347	7	1,045	38,662

Followers (non-combatant) salary

Level	Starting basic	Grades	Grade rate	With all grades
Followers, 5th level	36,142	4	1,205	40,962
Followers, 4th level	32,701	2	1,090	34,881
Followers, 3rd level	30,373	2	1,012	32,397
Followers, 2nd level	28,690	2	956	30,602
Followers, 1st level	27,172	2	906	28,984

Nepal Army ranks explained

To see the full rank hierarchy, with English and Nepali names and insignia, read our guide Nepal Army Ranks List: Officer & Soldier Hierarchy (with Insignia).

What is the Nepal Army salary in 2083? From Shrawan 1, 2083, basic pay ranges from Rs 28,690 (Sipahi, starting) to Rs 90,594 (Chief of Army Staff). Allowances are extra: a Rs 5,000 dearness allowance and a 10% incentive allowance.

What is the new salary scale of Nepal Army for 2083/84? The Ministry of Finance raised all starting scales by 10% from Shrawan 1, 2083. For example, a Second Lieutenant now gets Rs 48,058, a Major starts at Rs 53,611 and a Colonel starts at Rs 62,466.

What is the second lieutenant salary in Nepal? Rs 48,058 basic per month. It is about Rs 57,864 gross with the dearness and incentive allowances.

How much does a Nepal Army sipahi earn per month? Rs 28,690 at the start, rising to Rs 36,338 with grades. That is about Rs 44,207 gross with allowances at the top of the grade range.

What is the officer cadet salary in Nepal Army? Rs 47,960 per month under the 2083/84 scale.

Is the 10% incentive allowance part of basic salary? No. It is a separate monthly allowance, calculated as 10% of the revised salary scale. Pensioners receive the 10% scale increase but not the incentive.