Apply for High-Paying Government Jobs
These are the official application portals for India's best-paid government jobs, with eligibility for each. Pick a category below to see the jobs, who qualifies, and where to apply.
Before you apply: eligibility rules change slightly from cycle to cycle, so treat this as a strong starting guide and confirm against each body's latest notification PDF before applying. Ages listed are for the General category. Reserved categories usually get relaxation, typically +3 years for OBC, +5 for SC/ST, and more for PwBD.
UPSC: Civil Services, Engineering, Defence and more
All UPSC exams are applied for at the link below (use "Online Applications"; you need a One Time Registration first).
Apply at upsc.gov.in| Job | Qualification | Age (General) |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Services (IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, etc.) | Any graduate | 21-32 years for General/EWS, counted as on August 1 of the exam year; 6 attempts for General/EWS, 9 for OBC, unlimited for SC/ST (within the age limit) |
| Engineering Services (IES) | BE/BTech or equivalent | 21-30 |
| CAPF Assistant Commandant | Any graduate | 20-25, no attempt limit |
| CDS (Army, Navy, Air Force officers) | Graduate for IMA/OTA; engineering degree for INA; graduate with Physics and Maths at 10+2 (or BE) for AFA | 19-24 for IMA, INA and AFA; 19-25 for OTA |
| NDA | 12th pass (Physics and Maths needed for Air Force/Navy wings) | About 16.5-19.5 |
| Combined Medical Services | MBBS | Up to 32 |
| Indian Economic / Statistical Service | Postgraduate in Economics / Statistics | 21-30 |
Note: gender rules for the CDS academies have been changing recently. Check the current notification to see which entries are open to women.
Central bank and financial regulators (highest starting pay)
For salary context: RBI Grade B officers start at a basic pay of ₹78,450, with gross monthly salary around ₹1.5 lakh.
| Job | Qualification | Age | Apply at |
|---|---|---|---|
| RBI Grade B Officer | Graduation in any discipline with at least 60% (50% for SC/ST/PwBD); the General stream has also required 60% in Class 10 and Class 12. DEPR and DSIM need a Master's in Economics or Statistics | 21-30 | opportunities.rbi.org.in |
| SEBI Grade A (Assistant Manager) | Depends on stream: General, Legal, IT, Research, Engineering, Official Language. General usually needs a Master's, LLB, engineering degree, or CA/CFA/CS/CMA. Legal needs a law degree plus 2 years' experience as an advocate | Not above 30 as on the notified cut-off date; no attempt limit | sebi.gov.in (Careers) |
| NABARD Grade A | 60% in graduation or 55% in post-graduation | 21-30 for RDBS and Legal posts | nabard.org (Careers) |
PSUs through GATE (engineers)
First you need a valid GATE score. Then you apply separately on each PSU's careers page when it opens GATE-based hiring.
GATE 2027 portal| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Full-time BE/BTech with roughly 60-65% aggregate, depending on the PSU |
| Age | Generally 21-28 for General category (varies by PSU) |
| GATE score | Most PSUs, such as ONGC and IOCL, accept only the current year's score |
Official careers pages: NTPC, IOCL, ONGC, POWERGRID, BHEL, GAIL.
Pay example: BHEL Engineer Trainees join on the E2 scale (₹50,000-₹1,60,000), with starting gross around ₹85,000 a month including allowances.
Scientists (ISRO, DRDO, BARC)
| Job | Qualification | Age | Apply at |
|---|---|---|---|
| DRDO Scientist 'B' | BE/BTech (first class) plus a valid GATE score, or a Master's in science | Usually up to 28 | rac.gov.in |
| ISRO Scientist/Engineer 'SC' | BE/BTech or ME/MTech with a high aggregate (around 65%) | Usually up to 28 | isro.gov.in (Careers) |
| BARC Scientific Officer | BE/BTech or MSc, via BARC's own exam or GATE | Usually up to 26 | barc.gov.in |
Defence direct entries (outside UPSC)
| Job | Qualification | Age | Apply at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force (AFCAT) | Graduate (Flying needs Physics and Maths at 10+2); BE/BTech for Ground Duty Technical | Flying branch 20-24; Ground Duty (Technical and Non-Technical) 20-26 | afcat.cdac.in |
| Indian Army (Technical/JAG/NCC entries) | Varies by entry (BE, LLB, NCC 'C' certificate) | Varies by entry | joinindianarmy.nic.in |
| Indian Navy (SSC/Permanent entries) | Varies by branch (BE/BTech, MBA, etc.) | Varies by branch | joinindiannavy.gov.in |
Banking and SSC (good pay, high volume)
| Job | Qualification | Age (General) | Apply at |
|---|---|---|---|
| IBPS PO / SO | Any graduate (SO roles need a specialist degree) | 20-30 for IBPS PO | ibps.in |
| SBI PO | Any graduate | 21-30 | sbi.co.in/web/careers |
| LIC AAO | Any graduate | 21-30 | licindia.in (Careers) |
| SSC CGL (Income Tax Inspector, ASO, etc.) | Any graduate | 18 to between 27 and 32, depending on the post | ssc.gov.in |
| Railway jobs (RRB) | Varies by post | Varies by post | rrbapply.gov.in |
State government jobs
State civil services such as Deputy Collector and DSP are applied for through your state's Public Service Commission. Age limits are often more generous than UPSC; for example, UP's PCS allows General candidates up to age 40.
Maharashtra (MPSC) Uttar Pradesh (UPPSC) Tamil Nadu (TNPSC)Find your own state's Public Service Commission site for the full list of state-level civil service, police and administrative postings.
One place to track every new notification
For a single feed of all central government vacancies, check the Employment News weekly job paper and the National Career Service portal. Bookmark these alongside the portals above, and only apply through links on .gov.in, .nic.in or the organisation's own domain.
employmentnews.gov.in · ncs.gov.in