8th Pay Commission: Salary May Rise Up to ₹51,000! How Much Hike Can Central Employees Expect This Time?

By Siddhi Jain | Jun 3, 2025, 11:03 IST

The buzz around the 8th Pay Commission is growing louder as lakhs of central government employees and pensioners await clarity on the next big salary revision. With the 7th Pay Commission set to end on 31st December 2025, the upcoming commission is likely to take effect from 1st January 2026.

🔍 What is the Fitment Factor and Why is it Important?

At the heart of the pay hike lies a key multiplier—the fitment factor—used to calculate the revised basic salary. In previous commissions:

The 6th Pay Commission implemented a hike of 54%
The 7th Pay Commission offered a 14.29% increase in basic pay

Now, all eyes are on how much of a jump the 8th Pay Commission will deliver.

🧾 Expected Fitment Factor: 1.92 vs 2.86

According to media reports and employee union demands:

A fitment factor of 1.92 could raise the minimum basic salary to ₹34,560
A fitment factor of 2.86 might hike it all the way to ₹51,480

However, such a sharp rise depends heavily on government approval and budgetary feasibility. Employee unions are pressing for the 2.86 factor, but sources suggest that it may not be easily accepted by the government.

🏢 What’s the Government Planning?

Recent circulars from the Finance Ministry confirm that the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Pay Commission are in progress. Additionally:

Around 40 positions for the new commission are being filled on deputation
Once the ToR is finalized, the Chairman and key members will be appointed

This signals that the groundwork for the 8th Pay Commission has already begun.

👩‍💼 Who Will Benefit?

Nearly 47 lakh central government employees and 65 lakh pensioners will be directly impacted by the new pay structure. Alongside the hike in basic salary, pensioners can also expect a proportional increase in their monthly pension.

💸 Economic Impact

When the 7th Pay Commission was implemented in 2016, it added a burden of ₹1.02 lakh crore on the central exchequer. A similar or higher financial impact is expected with the 8th Commission.

📌 Final Words

As of now, no official fitment factor has been declared. But if the employee demands are met, this could be one of the most generous pay revisions in years. Government employees are advised to stay updated with notifications from the Finance Ministry and Department of Expenditure.