2 Lakhs To Senior Sweepers, 7 Lakhs To Engineers: Telangana's Monthly Salary Surges

Telangana's salary and pension burden has increased sharply over the past decade, with the state now spending about Rs 6,000 crore every month on pay and pensions, which is nearly four times the outgo at the time of state formation in 2014, according to senior government officials.

The spike comes amid disclosures that top government engineers in power utilities draw up to Rs 7 lakh per month, while senior sanitation workers in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) can earn close to Rs 2 lakh a month after long years of service and revisions.

Officials said that the high wage is largely because of successive pay revisions often timed around election cycles, which have raised fixed expenditure. 

Among the highest paid in Telangana are chief engineers in state power utilities Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited (TGGENCO), Telangana State Transmission Corporation Limited (TGTRANSCO), and the DISCOMs Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited and Telangana Northern Power Distribution Company Limited, where periodic four-year revisions have made monthly salaries to the Rs 7-lakh mark at the senior level.

In GHMC, which manages the urban Hyderabad, regularised sanitation workers average about Rs 70,000 per month, while entry-level municipal staff earn around Rs 28,000 and senior Class-4 workers with long service may fetch Rs 2 lakh monthly.

Salary structure

Dearness Allowance (DA):  33.67% of basic pay (latest revision effective Jan 2026).
Group 1 (Senior officers): Basic Rs 54,000-Rs 1,33,000, gross typically Rs 80000-Rs 1.5 lakh+.
Group 2 (Mid-level): Basic Rs 38,890-Rs 11,8230, gross Rs 60,000 Rs 1.2 lakh+.
Group 3 (Clerical/technical): Basic Rs 32,810 Rs 96,890, gross Rs 45,000 Rs 1 lakh+.
Group 4 (Support staff): Basic Rs 24,280-Rs 72,850, in-hand Rs 35,000-Rs 50,000 at entry.

Most employees are under the National Pension System (NPS), adding to long-term liabilities.

Despite the heavy wage bill, officials say rising state revenues have so far supported the government in paying out wages on time or with a slight delay. 

A recent Comptroller & Auditor General report showed that in 2023-24, about 45% of the state's revenue went to pay salaries, pensions and interest on debt.

However, despite challenges, Telangana's economy continues to expand, with GSDP growth above 10% and per capita income among the highest in India, said a senior official of CMO and government commitment towards welfare. 

According to the Telangana Budget 2025-26, the state's revenue receipts were estimated at Rs 2.30 lakh crore, with revenue expenditure of Rs 2.27 lakh crore out of a total budget outlay of roughly Rs 3.05 lakh crore. The fiscal plan projected a modest revenue surplus of Rs 2738 crore.

Major budget allocations were: Education: Rs 23,108 crore, Health, Medical & Family Welfare: Rs 12,393 crore, SC/ST Welfare: Rs 57,401 crore (approx), and Agriculture & Rural Development: Rs 24,439 crore.