Monthly expenses of “rarely” more than ₹15,000 on a salary of around ₹23 lakh a year: that is the claim a 27-year-old public sector employee made in a Reddit post that set off a familiar argument about government jobs, as the Times of India reported.
He says he earns roughly ₹1.3 lakh a month. Housing, fuel and almost all of his electricity are free, and office food is heavily subsidised. His posting is in a tier-3 location, where there is little to spend money on.
The pay is split in a way that helps. About ₹28,000 arrives each month as performance-related pay, and around ₹14,000 goes into his NPS account. His regular salary of about ₹1 lakh lands later in the month. By his account, the performance pay alone covers his routine costs.
The catch
The same posting that keeps costs low also keeps him away from city life. He describes fewer restaurants, fewer entertainment options and very little to do on weekends. The nearest major urban centre can be far away.
He says he has enough money to travel and pursue hobbies, but the lack of challenge at work makes him feel lazy. He is now thinking about business school.
Friends in the private sector
He compared himself with former classmates. Several earn between ₹12 lakh and ₹15 lakh years after graduating, he said, and some friends in IT take home ₹25 lakh to ₹30 lakh. He argues that rent, EMIs and city living costs eat much of those packages, so the bigger salary does not mean more savings. He also pointed to cheap loans through his job: a personal loan of up to ₹10 lakh and a home loan of around ₹50 lakh.
Readers split in the discussion that followed. Some agreed that a PSU job can offer a strong mix of salary, benefits and savings. Others said life in a remote posting costs more than many young Indians would be willing to pay.
