The words 8th Pay Commission bring hope and excitement to lakhs of central government employees and pensioners across India. From social media posts to office lunch breaks one question is on everyone’s mind i.e. How much will our salary increase this time? Most discussions usually begin with the lowest pay level (Level-1) but its important to remember that a large number of employees work in the middle levels which form the backbone of the country’s administrative system. So what will the new basic pay be? What fitment factor will be used? How much will HRA (House Rent Allowance) and TA (Travel Allowance) add to the total salary? If you’re also wondering about these things don’t worry as here we explain how you can use an 8th CPC Salary Calculator to get a rough idea of your expected revised salary including all the main components. Fitment Factor: The key to your salary hike Before we calculate the salary for Level-5 employees its important to understand what the fitment factor is. It is s a multiplier used to calculate your new basic salary by multiplying it with your current basic salary. This factor plays the biggest role in how much your pay increases. In the 7th Pay Commission the fitment factor was 2.57. What is expected in the 8th Pay Commission? There’s no official confirmation yet but several reports mention possible figures like 1.92 2.08 and even 2.86. For a realistic and conservative estimate here we will base our calculation on the 1.92 fitment factor. Basic Pay comparison across all levels (Based on Different Fitment Factors) Below is a comparison based on three commonly discussed fitment factor values: 1.92 2.08 and 2.86. Pay Level Current Basic Pay (7th CPC) With 1.92 Fitment Factor With 2.08 Fitment Factor With 2.86 Fitment Factor Level 1 Rs. 18000 Rs. 34560 Rs. 37440 Rs. 51480 Level 2 Rs. 19900 Rs. 38208 Rs. 41392 Rs. 56914 Level 3 Rs. 21700 Rs. 41664 Rs. 45136 Rs. 62062 Level 4 Rs. 25500 Rs. 48960 Rs. 53040 Rs. 72930 Level 5 Rs. 29200 Rs. 56064 Rs. 60736 Rs. 83512 Level 6 Rs. 35400 Rs. 67968 Rs. 73632 Rs. 101244 Level 7 Rs. 44900 Rs. 86208 Rs. 93392 Rs. 128414  Step-by-Step Calculation (8th Pay Commission Estimate) Let’s look how your monthly salary might look under the 8th Pay Commission assuming you’re a Level-5 central government employee. Step 1: New Basic Pay Current Basic Pay: Rs. 29200 Expected Fitment Factor: 1.92 New Basic Pay: Rs. 29200 × 1.92 = Rs. 56064 This new basic pay becomes the base for all further calculations. Step 2: What happens to dearness allowance (DA)? When a new pay commission comes into effect DA is reset to zero. This is because the rise in inflation over the years is already adjusted into the new basic pay. DA in 8th Pay Commission (initially): Rs. 0 Step 3: House Rent Allowance (HRA) Calculation HRA depends on the type of city youre posted in: X category (metro cities): 30 per cent Y category (medium cities): 20 per cent Z category (small towns): 10 per cent Assuming you are in an X category city the HRA is calculated as: New Basic Pay: Rs. 56064 HRA at 30 per cent: Rs. 56064 × 30 per cent = Rs. 16819 Step 4: Travelling Allowance (TA) For Level-3 and above in higher TPTA cities TA is Rs. 3600 + DA. Since DA is zero for now TA: Rs. 3600 Step 5: Total Gross Salary Now let’s add everything: Basic Pay: Rs. 56064 DA: Rs. 0 HRA: Rs. 16819 TA: Rs. 3600 Total Gross Salary = Rs. 76483/month Deductions: What will actually come into your bank? Your gross salary is not your take-home (net) salary as some mandatory deductions apply: NPS Contribution (10 per cent of Basic Pay): Rs. 56064 × 10 per cent = Rs. 5606 CGHS Contribution (fixed for Level-5): Rs. 250 Total Deductions = Rs. 5856 Final Net (In-Hand) Salary Gross Salary: Rs. 76483 Minus Deductions: Rs. 5856 Net Salary = Rs. 70627/month Therefore a Level-5 employee can expect to receive around Rs. 70627 per month in hand once the 8th Pay Commission is implemented.