The Securities and Exchange Board of India is the statutory regulator of India’s capital and securities markets. Established in 1988 as a non-statutory body, it became statutory and autonomous on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act passed by Parliament.
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Its entry-level officer post — Assistant Manager, Grade ‘A’ — carries what is, on the figures reported, the highest gross salary of any post covered in this series: a basic of ₹62,500 and gross monthly emoluments of approximately ₹1,84,000 without accommodation.
The basic pay was recently revised — from ₹44,500 to ₹62,500. Guides still quoting the old scale are describing a superseded structure.
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The 2025-26 cycle is complete: 135 vacancies, Phase 1 on 10 January 2026, Phase 2 on 21 February, final result declared for 134 candidates, with the joining date set for 24 July 2026.
The 2026 notification has not been released. Sources place it between July and October 2026, with an expected 100 to 130 vacancies.
Overview
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Organisation | SEBI — statutory regulator of the securities market |
| Post | Officer Grade A (Assistant Manager) |
| Streams | General, Legal, Information Technology, Research, Official Language, Engineering (Electrical), Engineering (Civil) |
| Age | Maximum 30 years |
| Basic pay | ₹62,500 — revised from ₹44,500 |
| Pay scale | ₹62,500 – ₹1,26,100 over 17 years |
| Gross | Approximately ₹1,84,000 without accommodation · ₹1,43,000 with accommodation |
| Probation | 2 years |
| Selection | Phase I → Phase II → Interview |
| Final merit | Phase II + Interview |
| 2026 notification | Expected July–October 2026 |
| Portal | sebi.gov.in |
1. Salary — And the Revision
| Component | Detail |
|---|---|
| Basic pay | ₹62,500 |
| Pay scale | ₹62,500 – 3600 (4) – 76,900 – 4050 (7) – 1,05,250 – EB – 4050 (4) – 1,21,450 – 4650 (1) – 1,26,100 over 17 years |
| Maximum basic | ₹1,26,100 |
| Gross (without accommodation) | Approximately ₹1,84,000 per month |
| Gross (with accommodation) | Approximately ₹1,43,000 per month |
| Probation | 2 years |
The basic pay has increased from ₹44,500 to ₹62,500. Any guide quoting a ₹44,500 – ₹89,150 scale for SEBI is using the superseded matrix.
The Accommodation Trade-Off
₹1,84,000 without accommodation. ₹1,43,000 with.
A difference of approximately ₹41,000 per month — which is what SEBI values its accommodation at, principally in Mumbai, where the head office sits.
This is a genuine decision, not an accounting note. In Mumbai, ₹41,000 a month does not obviously buy better housing than SEBI provides. Candidates should treat the two figures as two different propositions rather than assuming the higher number is the better one.
A conflict to flag: reported gross figures vary across sources — one places the range at ₹1,06,000 with accommodation to ₹1,40,500 without; another at ₹1,55,000 without and ₹1,16,500 with for Mumbai. The ₹1,84,000 / ₹1,43,000 figures are the most commonly cited alongside the revised ₹62,500 basic. Verify against the notification.
Where It Sits
| Post | Basic | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| SEBI Grade A | ₹62,500 | ~₹1,84,000 (without accommodation) |
| RBI Grade B | ₹78,450 | ~₹1,54,936 |
| LIC AAO | ₹88,635 | ~₹1,26,000 |
| NABARD Grade A | ₹44,500 | ~₹1,00,000 |
| IBPS PO | ₹48,480 | ~₹80,000–83,000 |
Note the inversion again. SEBI’s basic (₹62,500) is lower than RBI’s (₹78,450) and LIC’s (₹88,635) — yet its gross is the highest of the three. As with the RBI–LIC comparison, basic pay alone gives the wrong answer. SEBI’s allowance structure carries the difference.
Allowances and Perks
Allowances: Special Allowance, Dearness Allowance, Special Pay, Special Functional Pay, Family Allowance, Local Allowance, City Compensatory Allowance, Learning Allowance and Grade Allowance.
Perks: medical coverage for self and dependents, heavily subsidised; Leave Fare Concession (LFC); subsidised education, housing and car loans; book grant; briefcase; eye check-ups; financial newspapers.
2. The Streams
| Stream | Notes |
|---|---|
| General | Usually carries the highest number of vacancies |
| Legal | — |
| Information Technology | 22 vacancies in the 2025 cycle |
| Research | — |
| Official Language | — |
| Engineering (Electrical) | — |
| Engineering (Civil) | — |
Stream-wise educational qualification is set out in the notification, and differs by stream. Candidates hold graduation or post-graduation degrees in the concerned field, and candidates with professional qualifications — CA, CFA, CS — form a major part of the applicant pool for the General and Research streams.
Verify the qualification table for your stream in the notification PDF, as the requirements are stream-specific and are the first thing checked.
The Provision That Should Temper Stream Choice
“A SEBI Officer will be liable to be posted anywhere in the country, wherever the offices of SEBI exist. The recruited officers may also be asked to serve any department irrespective of the stream he/she chose.”
You may not work in your stream. An IT-stream officer may be assigned to a department unrelated to IT. The stream is an entry route, not a career guarantee — which is worth knowing before selecting one on the basis of the work rather than the eligibility.
3. Eligibility
| Criterion | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age | Maximum 30 years — the candidate must not have exceeded 30 on the specified date |
| OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) | +3 years |
| SC / ST | +5 years |
| PwBD | +10 years |
| Ex-Servicemen | As applicable |
| Qualification | Stream-specific — graduation or post-graduation in the concerned field; professional qualifications (CA/CFA/CS) for General and Research |
4. Selection — Three Phases
| Phase | Nature | Counts toward merit? |
|---|---|---|
| Phase I | Online screening, two papers | No — qualifying |
| Phase II | Online, two papers | Yes |
| Phase III | Interview — and, per some sources, Group Discussion | Yes |
The final selection is made on the marks secured in the Phase II Online Examination and the Interview.
One source states the weighting as 85% Phase II and 15% Interview. Verify in the notification.
Phase I
| Paper | Detail |
|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 100 MCQs, 100 marks, 60 minutes — common for all streams |
| Paper 2 | 100 MCQs, 100 marks, 40 minutes — stream-specific |
| Aggregate cut-off | 40% |
| Negative marking | 1/4 |
Paper 1 covers: Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, English Language and General Awareness — the last including financial and economic news, RBI and SEBI updates, reports, government schemes and static GK.
Phase I operates strictly as a qualifying hurdle, with individual cut-offs on each paper.
Phase II
| Paper | Detail |
|---|---|
| Paper 1 — Descriptive English | 100 marks, 60 minutes, 30% cut-off — essay writing, précis and comprehension, typed on a keyboard |
| Paper 2 — Core Subjects, Objective | 100 marks, 40 minutes, 40% cut-off — advanced conceptual understanding of the Phase 1 Paper 2 subjects |
Note the descriptive paper is typed, not handwritten. That is a genuine and under-prepared difference — essay and précis writing at speed, on a keyboard, in 60 minutes.
Note also the differing cut-offs: 30% on the descriptive paper, 40% on the objective. Both must be cleared.
Marks secured in Phase II define who receives the interview.
5. The Competition — Stated Honestly
The 2025-26 cycle provides exact figures, published by SEBI:
| Stage | Number |
|---|---|
| Applications received | 86,588 |
| Appeared in Phase I | 56,173 |
| Qualified for Phase II | 10,797 |
| Vacancies | 135 |
| Finally selected | 134 |
86,588 applications for 135 posts — approximately 641 applicants per post.
Of 56,173 who appeared in Phase I, 10,797 qualified — roughly 19%.
These are SEBI’s own published statistics, released stream-wise and category-wise. They are worth reading before committing a preparation cycle.
For comparison across this series: RBI Grade B drew approximately 62,000 applications for 60 posts. SEBI drew 86,588 for 135. Both are among the most competitive examinations covered here — and both pay accordingly.
6. Application
- Visit sebi.gov.in. Navigate to Careers — under the About menu, or in the footer — then Vacancies.
- Open “Recruitment of Officer Grade A (Assistant Manager) – 2026” and read the notification before applying.
- Click the apply online link and register as a new user. Note the registration number and password.
- Complete the application form, upload documents, and pay the fee online. Fees are payable only through online mode — credit card, debit card or UPI.
- Submit, check the payment status, and download and print the final application.
Offline applications are not accepted.
The recruitment process is formally initiated via a short notice in prominent Employment Newspapers — watch for it ahead of the detailed notification.
The 2025-26 Cycle — For Reference
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Notification | 30 October 2025 |
| Application window | 30 October to 28 November 2025 |
| Admit card | 3 January 2026 |
| Phase I | 10 January 2026 |
| Phase II | 21 February 2026 |
| Final result | Released — 134 candidates |
| Joining | 24 July 2026 |
| Vacancies | 135 |
For 2026: notification expected between July and October 2026 — sources differ — with approximately 100 to 130 vacancies anticipated. Verify on sebi.gov.in.
7. Documents Checklist
- ☐ Graduation / post-graduation degree in the stream-specific field
- ☐ CA / CFA / CS membership documentation, where relied upon
- ☐ Law degree, for the Legal stream
- ☐ Engineering degree, for the Engineering streams
- ☐ Class 10 certificate — age proof
- ☐ Caste / category certificate
- ☐ EWS certificate, where applicable
- ☐ PwBD certificate, where applicable
- ☐ Ex-Servicemen documentation, where applicable
- ☐ Registration number and password
- ☐ Printed final application and payment confirmation
8. Assessment
In favour:
- Gross approximately ₹1,84,000 without accommodation — on the reported figures, the highest entry-level gross in this series, above RBI Grade B
- Basic revised to ₹62,500, rising to ₹1,26,100 over 17 years
- Seven streams, including Legal, IT, Research, Official Language and two Engineering streams
- Professional qualifications — CA, CFA, CS — are a recognised route
- Heavily subsidised medical cover, LFC, and subsidised education, housing and car loans
- 135 vacancies in the last cycle — more than RBI Grade B’s 60
- Phase I is qualifying only — merit rests on Phase II and the Interview
- Work at the statutory regulator of India’s securities market
Against:
- 86,588 applications for 135 posts — approximately 641 per post
- Only 19% cleared Phase I in the last cycle
- Age 30 — narrow
- 2-year probation
- Descriptive English typed on a keyboard in 60 minutes — a skill few candidates practise
- You may be posted to any department irrespective of your stream
- Posting anywhere in India
- Reported gross figures vary substantially across sources
Recommendations:
If you are preparing for RBI Grade B, add SEBI. The Phase I territory — Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, English, General Awareness with financial and economic news — overlaps substantially, and SEBI’s gross is reported approximately ₹29,000 higher, with 135 posts against RBI’s 60.
Practise the descriptive paper on a keyboard. Essay, précis and comprehension in 60 minutes, typed, with a 30% cut-off. Handwritten practice does not prepare for it.
Understand the accommodation figures before comparing offers. ₹1,84,000 without and ₹1,43,000 with are the same job. In Mumbai, the ₹41,000 difference is not obviously in the candidate’s favour.
And choose your stream on eligibility, not on the work. SEBI states that officers may be asked to serve any department irrespective of the stream chosen. The stream gets you in; it does not determine what you do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the SEBI Grade A salary? Basic pay ₹62,500 — revised from ₹44,500 — on a scale of ₹62,500 – 3600(4) – 76,900 – 4050(7) – 1,05,250 – EB – 4050(4) – 1,21,450 – 4650(1) – 1,26,100 over 17 years. Gross monthly emoluments are approximately ₹1,84,000 without accommodation and ₹1,43,000 with accommodation. Reported figures vary across sources — verify in the notification.
Q2. What streams does SEBI Grade A recruit for? General, Legal, Information Technology, Research, Official Language, Engineering (Electrical) and Engineering (Civil). The General stream usually carries the highest number of vacancies; IT had 22 in the 2025 cycle.
Q3. What is the age limit? Maximum 30 years. Relaxation: +3 years for OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), +5 years for SC/ST, +10 years for PwBD, and as applicable for Ex-Servicemen.
Q4. What is the selection process? Three phases. Phase I — online screening, two papers of 100 marks each, Paper 1 common (60 minutes) and Paper 2 stream-specific (40 minutes), 40% aggregate cut-off, qualifying only. Phase II — two papers of 100 marks each, including a descriptive English paper. Phase III — Interview. Final selection is on Phase II and the Interview.
Q5. Is Phase I counted in the final merit? No. Phase I operates as a qualifying hurdle with individual cut-offs. The final selection is made on the marks secured in the Phase II Online Examination and the Interview — reported by one source as an 85:15 weighting.
Q6. Is there negative marking? Yes — 1/4 marks in the objective papers.
Q7. How competitive is it? In the 2025-26 cycle, 86,588 applications were received for 135 vacancies. 56,173 candidates appeared in Phase I and 10,797 qualified for Phase II — approximately 19%. 134 candidates were finally selected.
Q8. Will I work in the stream I applied for? Not necessarily. SEBI states that officers are liable to be posted anywhere in the country and may be asked to serve any department irrespective of the stream chosen.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. At the time of writing the SEBI Grade A 2026 notification has not been released; vacancy numbers, dates and fees cited are from the 2025-26 cycle or are expectations based on past patterns. Stream-wise educational qualifications, eligibility, age limits, examination pattern, cut-offs, salary and allowances are set by the official SEBI notification and are revised each cycle. Secondary sources conflict on the gross salary figures, the expected notification month and the Phase II–Interview weighting; some guides continue to quote the superseded ₹44,500 basic. Candidates must read the official notification on sebi.gov.in before applying and treat it as the final authority.