Customs Inspector Salary in Sri Lanka 2026

How much does a customs inspector earn in Sri Lanka?

A customs inspector in Sri Lanka is paid on RS 1-2025, Rs. 49,550 to Rs. 71,420 basic a month when the 2025 pay revision is fully paid in January 2027. In 2026 a new inspector receives Rs. 46,922 basic plus the Rs. 17,800 cost of living allowance, about Rs. 64,700 a month. Superintendents earn up to Rs. 195,970 basic.

How we checked this

We read Schedule I of PA Circular 10/2025, which assigns a salary code to every Sri Lanka Customs post, and its conversion tables.
We read published copies of the Inspector of Customs gazette of 11 September 2026 and the Assistant Superintendent gazette of 8 May 2026.
We checked in October 2026. Gross figures are our sums of basic plus COLA.

This page is about the official Inspector of Customs post and the grades above it. If you want broad estimates for customs-related work, including private clearing and forwarding jobs, see our customs officer salary overview.

What are the Sri Lanka Customs salary scales?

PA Circular 10/2025 replaced the 2016 scales from 1 January 2025. Every Customs post now has a 2025 salary code. The last column is the basic actually paid at the entry step in 2026, because the increase is phased in until January 2027.

Customs post	Code	Full scale (Rs.)	Paid 2026, entry
Inspector of Customs (Grade II, I)	RS 1-2025	49,550 - 71,420	46,922
Chief Inspector of Customs	RS 2-2025	54,000 - 75,160	50,679
Assistant Superintendent of Customs (Class II, I)	MN 5-2025	58,660 - 110,570	54,616
Deputy Superintendent of Customs	MN 7-2025	71,240 - 119,500	65,234
Superintendent / Assistant Director (Grade III)	SL 1-2025	82,150 - 195,970	74,438
Senior Superintendent / Deputy Director (Grade II)	SL 1-2025	82,150 - 195,970	by step
Director / Senior Deputy Director (Grade I)	SL 1-2025	82,150 - 195,970	by step
Senior Director / Additional Director General	SL 3-2025	156,000 - 214,200	by step

Inspectors share RS 1-2025 with police constables, and Chief Inspectors share RS 2-2025 with police sergeants. The big jump comes at Superintendent level, which moves onto SL 1-2025, the same executive scale as the Sri Lanka Administrative Service.

Customs inspector salary step by step

RS 1-2025 runs Rs. 49,550 - 7 x 540 - 27 x 670 - Rs. 71,420. That means seven increments of Rs. 540, then 27 of Rs. 670, one a year. Here is what selected steps paid before the revision, in 2026 and on the full scale:

Step	Dec 2024 (old)	Paid from Jan 2026	Full, Jan 2027
Step 1 (entry)	29,540	46,922	49,550
Step 8	31,640	50,114	53,330
Step 15	34,230	54,069	58,020
Step 24	37,560	59,154	64,050
Top of scale	-	-	71,420

The circular's conversion table for this scale stops at step 24, so we have not shown a 2026 figure for the top step. On the full scale, an inspector reaches Rs. 71,420 after 34 increments.

How much does a customs inspector take home?

Adding the Rs. 17,800 cost of living allowance gives about Rs. 64,700 a month in 2026 for a new inspector, Rs. 67,350 from January 2027, and Rs. 89,220 at the top of the scale.

The September 2026 gazette quotes the salary scale but does not list extra allowances, so we have not added any. Inspectors are pensionable public servants: no EPF is deducted, and pay at this level is below the Rs. 150,000 APIT threshold. Customs work also involves shift duty at ports and the airport, and any overtime or other payments set by Customs circulars would come on top.

How do you become a customs inspector?

Watch for the gazette. Sri Lanka Customs advertises the Inspector of Customs Grade II open examination in the Government Gazette. The latest appeared on 11 September 2026, with applications closing on 12 October 2026.
Check eligibility. Three A/L passes in one sitting; six O/L passes in no more than two sittings with credits in Sinhala or Tamil and Mathematics and a pass in English; age 18 to 24; men 5 feet 5 inches with a 33-inch chest, women 5 feet 3 inches.
Apply online and pay the fee. Apply online as the gazette directs and pay the Rs. 600 fee before the closing date; the 2026 window opened on 14 September and closed at 9.00 p.m. on 12 October.
Sit the written exam. Three papers: General Intelligence, Mathematics and English Language, 100 marks each. You need at least 60% in every paper.
Interview, appointment and probation. Top candidates are called for a structured interview, where sports achievements can earn extra marks. New inspectors serve a three-year probation.

There is also a limited stream. Half of the Grade II inspector vacancies are filled from serving Customs Guards (Grade II) with three years of satisfactory service and their efficiency bar exams passed, through a two-hour case study paper. For other state exams worth comparing, see our government jobs guide.

What about Assistant Superintendent of Customs?

Graduates can skip the inspector grade. The open exam for Assistant Superintendent of Customs (Grade II), gazetted on 8 May 2026, took applicants aged 21 to 35 with a three-year UGC-recognised degree and English at O/L credit or A/L pass. The post is on MN 5-2025, Rs. 58,660 to Rs. 110,570, with papers in aptitude and English. That is a higher starting scale with a much higher ceiling than RS 1-2025.

How does customs pay compare with similar jobs?

Post	Code	Entry basic, full (Rs.)
Inspector of Customs	RS 1-2025	49,550
Police Constable	RS 1-2025	49,550
Management Service Officer Grade III	MN 2-2025	48,470
Railway Guard / Station Master Grade III	Railway-2025	57,810
Assistant Superintendent of Customs	MN 5-2025	58,660

A constable on the same scale takes home more because of police allowances; see our police constable and OIC salary page. For other A/L-entry options, compare the railway guard salary, the immigration officer salary and the Management Service Officer salary.

Our take: treat inspector as the first rung, not the destination

RS 1-2025 is a modest scale. A new inspector's Rs. 64,700 in 2026 is fair for an A/L entry post, and the job has a pension and status, but the scale tops out at Rs. 71,420 basic.

The real value of Customs is the ladder. Superintendents reach SL 1-2025, with basic pay up to Rs. 195,970. If you are a graduate, we would sit the Assistant Superintendent exam first; it starts higher and climbs further.

If you are an A/L leaver, the inspector exam is worth the effort, but study for all three papers: the 60% pass mark in each is stricter than many state exams. For how all these scales fit together, see the government salary scale 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the customs inspector salary in Sri Lanka?

An Inspector of Customs is paid on salary code RS 1-2025: Rs. 49,550 rising to Rs. 71,420 basic a month when the 2025 revision is fully paid from January 2027. In 2026 the first step is paid Rs. 46,922 basic. With the Rs. 17,800 cost of living allowance, a new inspector receives about Rs. 64,700 a month in 2026.

What salary code applies to Customs Inspectors?

PA Circular 10/2025 places Inspector of Customs, Grade I and Grade II, on RS 1-2025, one of the Police and Regulatory Services codes. The September 2026 recruitment gazette quotes the same scale: Rs. 49,550 - 7 x 540 - 27 x 670 - Rs. 71,420.

What are the qualifications for the customs inspector exam?

The open examination advertised on 11 September 2026 asked for three A/L passes in one sitting and six O/L passes in no more than two sittings, with credits in Sinhala or Tamil and Mathematics and at least a pass in English. Applicants had to be 18 to 24 on 12 October 2026. Men need 5 feet 5 inches and a 33-inch chest; women 5 feet 3 inches.

What subjects are in the customs inspector exam?

The 2026 open exam has three papers of 100 marks each: General Intelligence (one hour), Mathematics (one hour) and English Language (one and a half hours). Candidates must score at least 60% in every paper to be called for the structured interview. The application fee was Rs. 600.

How much does an Assistant Superintendent of Customs earn?

Assistant Superintendents of Customs are on MN 5-2025, Rs. 58,660 to Rs. 110,570 basic when fully paid. In 2026 the first step is paid Rs. 54,616. The May 2026 open exam for Grade II took graduates aged 21 to 35 with a three-year degree and English at O/L credit or A/L pass level.

What is the Superintendent of Customs salary?

Superintendents of Customs, also called Assistant Directors of Customs (Grade III), are on the executive scale SL 1-2025: Rs. 82,150 to Rs. 195,970 basic when fully paid. In 2026 the first step is paid Rs. 74,438. Senior Superintendents and Directors stay on SL 1-2025, and the Senior Director and Additional Director General are on SL 3-2025.

Is a customs inspector paid more than a police constable?

Not on basic salary. Both are on RS 1-2025, Rs. 49,550 to Rs. 71,420. A police constable also receives a police special allowance and a food and lodging allowance, which the customs recruitment notice does not list. Customs inspectors need three A/L passes, while constable entry needs O/L only.

Do customs inspectors get a pension?

Yes. Inspector of Customs is a permanent, pensionable public service post with a three-year probation, so EPF is not deducted. At these pay levels gross salary is well under the Rs. 150,000 a month APIT threshold, so no income tax is usually deducted from a new inspector.

How is this page different from the customs officer salary page?

Our customs officer page gives broad estimates across customs-related jobs, including private clearing and forwarding roles. This page covers only the official Sri Lanka Customs posts, their 2025 salary codes from PA Circular 10/2025, the 2026 amounts actually paid and the current recruitment exams.

Sources

Public Administration Circular 10/2025 - Ministry of Public Administration (Customs posts in Schedule I, RS, MN and SL scales, conversion tables)
Inspector of Customs Grade II Open Recruitment 2026 - Applications.lk (Gazette of 11 September 2026)
Customs Inspector Grade II Recruitment 2026 (Open and Limited) - TeachMore
Assistant Superintendent of Customs (Grade II) 2026 - TeachMore (Gazette of 8 May 2026)
Sri Lanka Customs - official website