Highest Paying Government Jobs in Sri Lanka 2026
The top public service salaries ranked from the official 2025 scales, with what is actually paid in 2026
Which government jobs pay the most in Sri Lanka?
The highest paying government jobs in Sri Lanka are the Attorney General and the Secretary to the President, on AGS 9-2025: Rs. 257,000 to Rs. 310,000 basic a month once fully paid in 2027. Senior law officers follow, then Ministry Secretaries on SL 4-2025 at Rs. 175,000 to Rs. 238,600, plus Rs. 17,800 living allowance.
How we checked this
- We read Schedule I (posts and codes) and Schedule II (salary scales) of Public Administration Circular 10/2025, dated 25 March 2025.
- The 2026 paid amounts come from the circular's Schedule III tables, as listed in our government salary scale guide.
- Checked in October 2026. Every figure on this page is official basic salary; there are no estimates. Allowances and overtime are extra.
Top government salaries ranked (2025 scales)
We ranked every scale by its maximum basic salary, because that is the ceiling the job reaches. Entry pay and the amount actually paid in 2026 are shown where the circular gives them. Figures are in rupees a month.
| # | Post(s) | Code | Entry (full) | Maximum | Paid 2026, entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Attorney General; Secretary to the President | AGS 9-2025 | 257,000 | 310,000 | - |
| 2 | Solicitor General | AGS 8-2025 | 248,000 | 301,000 | - |
| 3 | Senior Additional Solicitor General; Legal Draftsman | AGS 7 / LDS 5-2025 | 239,000 | 288,500 | - |
| 4 | Additional Solicitor General; Additional Legal Draftsman | AGS 6 / LDS 4-2025 | 212,000 | 261,500 | - |
| 5 | Senior State Attorney / Senior Deputy Solicitor General | AGS 5-2025 | 194,000 | 239,000 | - |
| 6 | Secretary of a Ministry, to the Prime Minister or Cabinet; Chief Secretary of a Province | SL 4-2025 | 175,000 | 238,600 | 152,653 |
| 7 | State Audit Service, Special Grade | AS 4-2025 | 165,700 | 223,900 | - |
| 8 | State Attorney / Deputy Solicitor General; Deputy Legal Draftsman | AGS 4 / LDS 3-2025 | 176,000 | 218,500 | - |
| 9 | Specialist medical officers; District Secretaries; Additional Secretaries; IGP | SL 3-2025 | 156,000 | 214,200 | 136,575 |
| 10 | State Audit Service, Class I and Class II | AS 3-2025 | 86,950 | 200,770 | - |
| 11 | Executive services: SLAS, SLEAS, Foreign Service, Engineering, Accountants, Inland Revenue; ASP to Senior DIG | SL 1-2025 | 82,150 | 195,970 | 74,438 |
| 12 | Senior State Counsel; Senior Assistant Legal Draftsman | AGS 3 / LDS 2-2025 | 151,900 | 190,900 | - |
| 13 | Medical officers and dental surgeons | SL 2-2025 | 91,750 | 184,170 | 82,547 |
| 14 | School principals (Sri Lanka Principals’ Service) | GE 4-2025 | 72,280 | 172,620 | 66,119 |
| 15 | State Counsel / Assistant State Attorney; Assistant Legal Draftsman | AGS 2 / LDS 1-2025 | 131,300 | 160,700 | - |
| 16 | Teachers, Class 2 and Class 1 | GE 2-2025 | 66,880 | 157,380 | 61,559 |
| 17 | Registered / Assistant Medical Officers, Special Grade | MP 2-2025 | 97,540 | 145,780 | - |
| 18 | Special Grade nurses, PSM and para medical services | MT 8-2025 | 86,800 | 134,520 | 78,365 |
Every scale code and all the lower grades are in our government salary scale 2026 guide. Where the last column shows a dash, we have not yet taken the 2026 amount for that scale from Schedule III, so we left it blank rather than estimate it.
Why do law officers top the list?
This was the surprise in our reading of the circular. The Attorney General's Department and the Legal Draftsman's Department got their own AGS and LDS codes, and they sit above most executive scales. Even a new State Counsel starts on AGS 2-2025 at Rs. 131,300, higher than the entry point of any SL 1 executive service.
The catch is entry. You must be an enrolled attorney-at-law and get through a competitive selection by the Public Service Commission. Our lawyer salary in Sri Lanka page compares that with private practice.
Which government jobs have the highest starting salary?
The ranking above favours senior posts that take decades to reach. If you are choosing a career now, starting pay matters more. These are the highest entry points open to new recruits, full-scale basic per month.
| Entry post | Code | Starting basic (Rs.) | Main requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Counsel / Assistant State Attorney | AGS 2-2025 | 131,300 | Attorney-at-law + PSC selection |
| Medical Officer (intern-qualified doctor) | SL 2-2025 | 91,750 | MBBS + SLMC registration |
| Junior Assistant State Attorney | AGS 1-2025 | 82,150 | Attorney-at-law |
| SLAS and other executive services, Grade III | SL 1-2025 | 82,150 | Degree + open competitive exam |
| Graduate teacher, Grade 3-I(a) | GE 1-2025, step 14 | 64,440 | Degree + graduate teacher exam |
| Registered / Assistant Medical Officer | MP 1-2025 | 59,720 | RMO/AMO training |
| Station Master Grade III | Railway-2025 | 57,810 | O/L + A/L + exam |
Doctors stand out because overtime and allowances add a lot on top of the SL 2 basic; see doctor salary in Sri Lanka. The SLAS route is explained in how to become a government officer.
How much do top officers actually receive in 2026?
Less than the scale, for now. The circular releases the increase in three stages, and in 2026 officers get Rs. 5,000 plus 65% of the net increase above Rs. 5,000. The full scales apply from 1 January 2027.
Add the Rs. 17,800 cost of living allowance to get gross pay. A Ministry Secretary at the first step of SL 4-2025 receives about Rs. 170,453 a month in 2026, and a new specialist on SL 3-2025 about Rs. 154,375. Both are above the Rs. 150,000 APIT threshold, so tax is deducted. A new medical officer receives about Rs. 100,347 and an SL 1 Grade III officer about Rs. 92,238.
Government jobs not on this list
Circular 10/2025 covers the public service, not every state employer. Its paragraph 19 leaves the Judicial Service, the three armed forces, state corporations and statutory boards, and Parliament staff to separate instructions from the Department of Management Services. For judges, see our judicial officer salary guide. University academics, the Central Bank and state banks also have their own pay structures, and some pay more than the public service at similar levels.
The police are on the list in part: the IGP is on SL 3-2025 and officers from ASP to Senior DIG on SL 1-2025, while ranks up to Chief Inspector use RS codes. See Sri Lanka Police salary.
Our take: the best-paid government careers you can actually plan for
Only a handful of people ever hold an AGS 9 or SL 4 post, so we would not plan a career around the top of this table. The useful question is which entry route leads furthest.
On the 2025 scales, three routes stand out: law into the Attorney General's Department, medicine into SL 2 and then SL 3 as a specialist, and the SLAS or another SL 1 executive service through the open exam. All three need a degree and a competitive selection.
If you do not have a degree yet, compare these with private sector ceilings in our highest paying jobs in Sri Lanka list. For open vacancies and how recruitment works, see government jobs in Sri Lanka.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest paying government job in Sri Lanka?
Under Public Administration Circular 10/2025, the highest salary scale is AGS 9-2025, which covers the Attorney General and the Secretary to the President. It runs from Rs. 257,000 to Rs. 310,000 basic a month when fully paid from January 2027. Judges, whose pay is set separately, are not covered by the circular.
How much does a Ministry Secretary earn in Sri Lanka?
Secretaries of Ministries, the Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Secretary to the Cabinet and Chief Secretaries of Provincial Councils are on SL 4-2025: Rs. 175,000 rising by 12 increments of Rs. 5,300 to Rs. 238,600. In 2026 the amount paid at the first step is Rs. 152,653, plus the Rs. 17,800 cost of living allowance.
What is the highest government salary a graduate can start on?
For a general graduate, the executive SL 1-2025 scale is the highest common starting point: Rs. 82,150 basic when fully paid, or Rs. 74,438 paid in 2026, through exams such as the SLAS open competitive examination. Doctors start higher on SL 2-2025 at Rs. 91,750, and lawyers joining the Attorney General’s Department as State Counsel start at Rs. 131,300.
How much is a government doctor’s salary in 2026?
Medical officers and dental surgeons are on SL 2-2025, from Rs. 91,750 to Rs. 184,170 basic when fully paid. In 2026 a new Grade II medical officer is paid Rs. 82,547 basic plus the Rs. 17,800 cost of living allowance. Specialists move to SL 3-2025, which runs from Rs. 156,000 to Rs. 214,200. Overtime and other allowances are paid on top.
What is the State Counsel salary after the 2025 revision?
Circular 10/2025 put State Counsel and Assistant State Attorneys on AGS 2-2025: Rs. 131,300 rising by 10 increments of Rs. 2,940 to Rs. 160,700. That is one of the highest starting salaries in the public service. Senior State Counsel move to AGS 3-2025, which runs from Rs. 151,900 to Rs. 190,900.
Why is the salary paid in 2026 lower than the scale?
Because the 2025 revision is paid in three stages. From January 2026 officers receive Rs. 5,000 plus 65% of their net increase above Rs. 5,000, and the full scale is paid from 1 January 2027. So an officer at the first step of SL 4-2025 receives Rs. 152,653 in 2026 rather than Rs. 175,000.
Do top government officers pay income tax?
Yes. Public servants pay APIT on monthly income above Rs. 150,000. Officers on the SL 3, SL 4, AS 4 and AGS scales are above that threshold even before allowances, so tax is deducted from their pay. Most officers on lower scales are below it. Pensionable public servants do not contribute to EPF.
Are judges included in the government salary scales?
No. Paragraph 19 of Circular 10/2025 says salary revisions for the Judicial Service, the three armed forces, staff of state corporations and statutory boards, and Parliament staff are issued separately by the Department of Management Services. So judges do not appear in this ranking. Our judicial officer salary guide covers their pay.
What is the highest paying government job without a degree?
Among the 2025 scales, posts open with A/L such as Station Master (Railway-2025, Rs. 57,810 to Rs. 93,810) and Management Service Officer (MN 2-2025, Rs. 48,470 to Rs. 82,800) rise furthest. Police Sub Inspectors on RS 3-2025 start at Rs. 55,410 and receive significant allowances. Promotion to supervisory grades lifts pay further.
Sources
- Public Administration Circular 10/2025 (PDF), Ministry of Public Administration - Schedules I, II and III
- Government Salary Scales 2025 (English PDF mirror), Gazette.lk
- Public Administration Circular 03/2024 - cost of living allowance
Updated Reviewed by SalaryLK Editorial TeamHow we research salaries