Government jobLevel 22 (starting pay ₹56,100)Group AGazetted
Deputy Collector (Tamil Nadu)
उप जिलाधिकारी (तमिलनाडु)
Top post of TNPSC Group I — heads a revenue division as RDO, with later promotion into the IAS.
Revenue Department, Government of Tamil Nadu (Tamil Nadu Civil Service) · state government
- Exam
- TNPSC Group 1
- Qualification
- Graduate
- Age limit
- 21–34 years
- Transfers
- Within the state
- Work hours
- Long; emergencies, elections and VIP visits override regular hours
- Probation
- Training and probation as per Tamil Nadu Civil Service rules
Pay scale
Level 22 (starting pay ₹56,100)
Starting basic ₹56,100. HRA and other state allowances are added on top as per Tamil Nadu rules.
The 2025 notification prints only the level. The starting figure is the first cell of Level 22 in the Tamil Nadu pay matrix; confirm it in the pay rules.
What you will actually do
- Heading a revenue division as Revenue Divisional Officer and Sub-Divisional Magistrate
- Hearing revenue appeals and land disputes
- Land acquisition and alienation proposals
- Law-and-order coordination and preventive powers
- Conducting elections as Returning or Electoral Registration Officer
- Supervising Tahsildars and disaster relief
A typical day
As RDO you hold court on some days, hearing appeals on patta transfers and enquiries under various Acts. Other days go in inspections of taluk offices, land acquisition meetings, grievance days where petitions pour in, and protocol for visiting dignitaries. Cyclones and floods are a regular part of the calendar in coastal districts, and then the work is round the clock.
Promotion path
Timelines are ranges and vary by cadre. See how promotions and MACP work.
Deputy Collector (Tamil Nadu) (joining)
Level 22 (starting pay ₹56,100)
District Revenue Officer
About 8–12 years · via dpc
Indian Administrative Service (by promotion)
For those selected, typically after 15 or more years · via dpc
Promotion timelines vary by cadre and vacancies. If not promoted, MACP gives a pay upgrade after 10, 20 and 30 years.
How to get in
Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission
- 1.Preliminary examination (single objective paper, screening only)
- 2.Main written examination (descriptive papers)
- 3.Interview (100 marks)
Eligibility: A degree of any university recognised in India, with adequate knowledge of Tamil. Age 21–34. 34 is the limit for candidates not belonging to reserved communities. SC, SC(A), ST, MBC/DC, BC and BCM candidates have a higher limit, and there are concessions for persons with benchmark disability, ex-servicemen and destitute widows, as tabulated in the notification.
The good
- Highest post in the state's Group I exam
- Route to the IAS by promotion
- Wide executive and magisterial authority
The hard parts
- Very few vacancies
- Political and public pressure
- Frequent transfers
Postings
Revenue divisions and district offices anywhere in Tamil Nadu, later the Secretariat, corporations and district revenue officer posts.
Questions people ask
What is the qualification and age limit for Deputy Collector (Tamil Nadu)?+
A degree of any university recognised in India, with adequate knowledge of Tamil. Age: 21–34 years. Relaxation: 34 is the limit for candidates not belonging to reserved communities. SC, SC(A), ST, MBC/DC, BC and BCM candidates have a higher limit, and there are concessions for persons with benchmark disability, ex-servicemen and destitute widows, as tabulated in the notification.
Which exam do I need to clear for Deputy Collector (Tamil Nadu)?+
TNPSC Group 1 (Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission).
Does the preliminary exam count for rank?+
No. It is a screening test. Rank is decided by the main written examination and the interview.
Compare with similar posts
Deputy Collector (Maharashtra)
उप जिलाधिकारी (महाराष्ट्र)
Top Group A post of MPSC Rajyaseva — heads a revenue sub-division as SDO and can be promoted into the IAS later.
IAS Officer (Indian Administrative Service)
आईएएस अधिकारी (भारतीय प्रशासनिक सेवा)
All India Service via the UPSC Civil Services Exam — runs district administration and later heads departments and ministries.
Village Administrative Officer (Tamil Nadu)
ग्राम प्रशासनिक अधिकारी (तमिलनाडु)
Revenue post via TNPSC Group IV — keeps a village's land and revenue records and issues certificates, with Class 10 as the entry bar.
Sources
This profile is being reviewed. Confirm details in the latest official notification. Salary computed from pay rules as of January 2026.