| Authority | Managed by Central Ministries (e.g., Defence, Finance, Railways, etc.) | Managed by State Departments (e.g., Health, Education, Local Bodies) |
| Recruiting Bodies | UPSC, SSC, RRB, IBPS, Ministry-specific exams | State PSCs (e.g., MPSC, UPPSC), VYAPAM, State Education Boards |
| Salary | High salary (7th Pay Commission) | Moderate salary (State Pay Commission; not always revised timely) |
| Promotions | Regular, structured, and faster in most roles | Often delayed due to state policies or vacancies |
| Transfers | Pan-India (frequent for All India Services) | Usually within the same district/state |
| Perks & Allowances | HRA, DA, Travel Allowance, LTC, Accommodation, Medical, Education grants | Basic allowances; fewer cities offer government quarters |
| Pension Scheme | NPS (some older employees still under Old Pension Scheme) | Some states offer Old Pension (e.g., Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh); others follow NPS |
| Job Diversity | Defence, Admin, Engineering, Scientific, Railways, Taxation, etc. | Mostly admin, teaching, clerical, revenue, police |
| Work Culture | More systemized, digital, and accountable | Traditional, but improving with e-governance |
| Language Barrier | English/Hindi or official language | State language often mandatory (especially in exams and postings) |
| Vacancies | Higher number of nationwide seats in many departments | Limited to state-specific quotas |
| Job Security | Very high | High |
| Difficulty Level (Exams) | Tough (nationwide competition, lakhs of aspirants) | Moderate (varies by state and post) |
| Social Prestige | High prestige jobs (IAS, IPS, IRS, etc. known nationwide) | Respected locally (Patwari, SI, Gram Sevak, Teachers) |
| Eligibility Criteria | Often uniform across India | Changes with state rules, domicile requirements |
| Workload | High-pressure in many departments (Defence, Railways, Tax) | Moderate or light workload in many rural/state-level offices |
| Job Posting Type | Urban + Rural + Remote areas | Mostly rural or semi-urban areas |
| Job Stability in Crisis | Very stable even in economic downturns or pandemics | Also stable, though financial delays can happen in smaller states |
