Sri Lanka STF Salary 2026
Special Task Force pay by police rank, the STF allowances and how recruitment works
How much does the STF pay in Sri Lanka?
STF constables and Sub Inspectors are paid on the police scales, Rs. 49,550 to Rs. 91,630 basic a month, plus an STF allowance of 25% of basic. With the usual police allowances, a new STF Sub Inspector receives about Rs. 134,550 a month by our calculation from the April 2026 gazette. A new constable's standard package is Rs. 110,551.
How we checked this
- We read PA Circular 10/2025 for the RS 1-2025 to RS 5-2025 police scales and the 2026 phased amounts.
- We read the Sub Inspector gazette of 30 April 2026, which lists STF allowances, and the constable gazette of 20 June 2025.
- We checked in October 2026. The STF constable figure and the STF SI total are our calculations.
What is the Special Task Force?
The Special Task Force is the elite unit of Sri Lanka Police. It was formed on 1 March 1983, trained originally in counter-insurgency, and today handles counter-terrorism, VIP and VVIP protection, bomb disposal and other high-risk operations.
That matters for pay. STF officers are not soldiers, so they are not on the Army Pay Code. They hold police ranks, are paid on police salary codes, and draw extra STF allowances on top. If you were expecting a separate "STF salary scale", there is none.
What is the STF salary by rank?
These are the police scales under PA Circular 10/2025. The fourth column is the basic actually paid at the first step in 2026, because the increase is phased until January 2027. The last column adds the Rs. 17,800 cost of living allowance and the police special allowance of 22% of basic plus Rs. 1,250, at the first step of the full scale.
| Rank | Code | Basic scale (Rs.) | Paid 2026, step 1 | Basic + COLA + special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police Constable | RS 1-2025 | 49,550 - 71,420 | 46,922 | 79,501 |
| Police Sergeant | RS 2-2025 | 54,000 - 75,160 | 50,679 | 84,930 |
| Sub Inspector | RS 3-2025 | 55,410 - 91,630 | 51,868 | 86,650 |
| Inspector (IP) | RS 4-2025 | 63,070 - 91,630 | 58,331 | 95,995 |
| Chief Inspector (CI) | RS 5-2025 | 72,800 - 96,600 | 66,544 | 107,866 |
| ASP and above | SL 1-2025 | 82,150 - 195,970 | 74,438 | 119,273 |
Food and lodging, arduous duty and uniform allowances come on top, as do the STF allowances below. For the full SI and ASP breakdown, see our police SI salary guide, and for station commanders, the police OIC salary page.
What extra allowances do STF officers get?
The clearest official list we found is in the Sub Inspector recruitment gazette of 30 April 2026, which covers both the General Police Service and the Special Task Force. For STF officers it adds:
| STF allowance | Amount |
|---|---|
| Incentive allowance (during training) | Rs. 1,500 |
| STF allowance, once duties are assigned | 25% of basic salary |
| VIP security allowance (after the course) | Rs. 800 |
| Station allowance (entitled camps only) | 8% |
The 25% allowance is the big one. Because it is a percentage of basic, it grows with every increment and promotion. The gazette does not give a full STF allowance list for constables, so we have not invented one.
How much does an STF Sub Inspector earn?
Here is our worked example for a new STF Sub Inspector at the first step of RS 3-2025, once training is over and duties are assigned. The first seven lines are the General Police Service package exactly as the April 2026 gazette prints it.
| Item | Rs. a month |
|---|---|
| Basic salary (RS 3-2025, step 1) | 55,410.00 |
| Cost of living allowance | 17,800.00 |
| Police special allowance (22% of basic + Rs. 1,250) | 13,440.20 |
| Food and lodging allowance | 31,800.00 |
| Arduous allowance | 2,000.00 |
| Uniform cleaning allowance | 250.00 |
| Subtotal, General Police Service SI | 120,700.20 |
| STF allowance (25% of basic) | 13,852.50 |
| Total, STF SI (our calculation) | 134,552.70 |
We have assumed the STF SI gets the same food and lodging and other allowances as a General Police Service SI; the gazette does not say otherwise. An SI at an entitled camp also gets the 8% station allowance, and after the VIP security course another Rs. 800.
How much does an STF constable earn?
The constable gazette of 20 June 2025 lists the standard package: Rs. 49,550 basic, Rs. 17,800 cost of living allowance, the special allowance of 22% of basic plus Rs. 1,250 (Rs. 12,151), Rs. 2,000 arduous duty, Rs. 250 uniform cleaning and Rs. 28,800 food and lodging. That is Rs. 110,551 a month.
We could not find a 2025 or 2026 notice that prints the STF allowance for constables. If the 25% rule in the SI gazette applies, an STF constable would add Rs. 12,387.50, for about Rs. 122,900. Treat that as our estimate until a constable notice confirms it. The full constable pay table is on the police OIC and constable salary page.
How do you join the STF?
- Watch for the police notice. Sri Lanka Police advertises constable and Sub Inspector posts for both the General Police Service and the Special Task Force. The March 2026 call was for about 7,500 apprentice officers.
- Check you qualify. Constables: age 18 to 25, six O/L passes with four credits at one sitting including the medium language, height 5 feet 4 inches and a 30-inch chest (June 2025 notice). SIs: three A/L passes, age 18 to 25, height 5 feet 6 inches.
- Apply online. Applications go through the Join Us section of police.lk or joinus.police.lk, choosing the STF stream where offered.
- Pass the physical tests. The endurance test includes a compulsory 1,000 metre run in under 5 minutes, plus chin-ups, push-ups, sit-ups and squat thrusts. STF SI candidates need 60% of the marks.
- Clear the exam, interview and medical. Shortlisted candidates sit written papers, face an interview, a background check and a medical, then go to training.
For the full police entry process, including written papers and training, see our guide to becoming a police officer. If special operations are what draw you, compare STF pay with the army commando salary; commandos are soldiers on the army pay code, not police officers.
Our take: the 25% is real money, but so is the risk
On the figures we could verify, STF service pays clearly more than the same rank in the General Police Service: about Rs. 13,850 a month more for a new SI, and more each year as basic rises. Over a career that gap adds up.
The trade-off is the work. STF postings mean camps, VIP duty and operations, with a higher bar at selection. We would not join the STF for the allowance alone.
If you are deciding between constable and SI entry, we would aim for SI if you have three A/L passes. The basic is higher, the food and lodging allowance is larger, and the STF allowance is a percentage of that bigger basic. For how police pay compares across the state sector, see Sri Lanka Police salaries and the government salary scale 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sri Lanka STF salary?
STF officers are Sri Lanka Police officers, so they are paid on the police rank scales: Rs. 49,550 to Rs. 71,420 basic for a constable and Rs. 55,410 to Rs. 91,630 for a Sub Inspector. On top of the normal police allowances, the April 2026 Sub Inspector gazette adds an STF allowance of 25% of basic salary once duties are assigned.
How much does an STF Sub Inspector earn?
A new General Police Service SI receives Rs. 120,700.20 a month under the April 2026 gazette. An STF SI adds 25% of basic, Rs. 13,852.50 at the first step, which takes the total to about Rs. 134,550, assuming the rest of the package is the same. An 8% station allowance at entitled camps and a Rs. 800 VIP security allowance can apply on top.
How much does an STF constable earn?
A police constable receives Rs. 110,551 a month at the first step under the June 2025 gazette, including food and lodging. We could not find a 2025 or 2026 notice listing the STF allowance for constables. If the same 25% of basic used for STF SIs applies, an STF constable would receive about Rs. 122,900, which is our estimate.
What allowances do STF officers get?
The April 2026 SI gazette lists, for STF officers: a Rs. 1,500 incentive allowance during training; 25% of basic salary once duties are assigned; a Rs. 800 VIP security allowance after completing that course; and an 8% station allowance at entitled camps. These come on top of the cost of living, special, food and lodging, arduous and uniform allowances.
Is the STF part of the army or the police?
The Special Task Force is a unit of Sri Lanka Police, set up on 1 March 1983. Its officers hold police ranks and are paid on police salary codes, not the armed forces pay code. Its roles include counter-terrorism, VIP security and bomb disposal.
How do I join the Sri Lanka STF?
You apply through Sri Lanka Police recruitment, choosing the Special Task Force where the notice allows it. In March 2026 the Police called for about 7,500 apprentice officers for the Police and the STF, with online applications through joinus.police.lk until 8 May 2026. Sub Inspectors can also apply for STF posts through the SI notice.
Is the STF entry test harder than the normal police test?
Yes, for Sub Inspectors. The April 2026 SI gazette uses the same preliminary and endurance tests for both streams, but General Police Service candidates need 50% of the marks while STF candidates need 60%. The endurance test includes a compulsory 1,000 metre run in under 5 minutes.
Do STF officers get a pension?
Yes. STF officers are police officers and permanent, pensionable public servants, so EPF is not deducted. Their pension is based on the police salary scale they reach. Most constables and SIs are below the Rs. 150,000 a month APIT threshold, so no income tax is deducted.
What is the STF salary in 2026 after the pay revision?
PA Circular 10/2025 put all police ranks on new RS scales from 1 January 2025, paid in stages. In 2026 a constable at the first step is paid Rs. 46,922 basic and a Sub Inspector Rs. 51,868, rising to the full Rs. 49,550 and Rs. 55,410 from 1 January 2027. Recruitment notices quote the full scale.
Sources
- Public Administration Circular 10/2025 - Ministry of Public Administration (RS 1-2025 to RS 5-2025, SL 1-2025, phased payments)
- Post of Sub Inspector of Police (General Police Service / Special Task Force) - Gazette, 30 April 2026
- Post of Police Constable (Male) - Gazette Part I Section IIA, 20 June 2025
- Sri Lanka Police open 7,500 vacancies for apprentice officers - Newswire, 28 March 2026
- Sri Lanka Police - Wikipedia (Special Task Force history and role)
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