Updated 2026-11-14
A government job advert may show an old letter job group, a CPSB grade, or a national scale such as CSG. These are grade labels: they place a job in an employer's structure. They are useful for comparing seniority and the advertised basic-salary scale, but they do not by themselves tell you one universal salary for every public job.
Never pay anyone to secure a government job. Use the employer's official advert and application channel.
A grading structure puts broadly comparable jobs into a sequence, bands or defined pay levels, and can provide scope for career and pay progression. A job family groups jobs that use similar work, training, skills, knowledge and expertise. Read the job title and duties first, then use the stated grade to understand where that role sits in that employer's structure.
The Public Service Commission's career guide describes movement to another cadre at an equal or substantially equal grade as re-designation. Promotion is different: the PSC Regulations define it as appointment to an office with added responsibility or a higher salary or salary scale.
Do not assume that the same title always has the same grade. A job's grade reflects the evaluated job, not simply the applicant's degree or years of experience. SRC says job evaluation compares jobs to determine their relative worth and supports a rational, harmonised and equitable grading structure.
| Label you may see | What it tells you | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Job Group, for example J, M or P | A letter-based public-service classification used in some adverts and older salary documents | Treat it as the employer's stated level. Check whether the advert also gives a newer grade. |
| CPSB 02 to CPSB 18 | A county public service board grade label | Use the county advert's own salary scale, terms and requirements. |
| CSG, for example CSG 4 | A civil-service grade label used in a national-government advert | Read the advertised basic salary, allowances, duties and required experience for that exact CSG post. |
For example, a PSC advert available on 14 November 2026 lists a role at CSG 4, gives its own basic salary and allowances, and requires previous service at CSG 5. This demonstrates that grade is used alongside, not instead of, the specific job requirements and pay details.
For county executive employees, SRC's Phase IV circular dated 8 July 2020 converted the letter job groups A to S to CPSB 18 to CPSB 02. The conversion below is a useful way to read a county advert that displays both labels. It is from the 2020 circular, so it is not proof of a current salary.
| Old job group | CPSB grade |
|---|---|
| A | CPSB 18 |
| B | CPSB 17 |
| C | CPSB 16 |
| D | CPSB 15 |
| E | CPSB 14 |
| F | CPSB 13 |
| G | CPSB 12 |
| H | CPSB 11 |
| J | CPSB 10 |
| K | CPSB 09 |
| L | CPSB 08 |
| M | CPSB 07 |
| N | CPSB 06 |
| P | CPSB 05 |
| Q | CPSB 04 |
| R | CPSB 03 |
| S | CPSB 02 |
The same 2020 SRC circular says new employees join at the minimum point of the salary structure and progress annually. However, do not quote its figures as today's pay: it was effective from 1 July 2020.
A current employer advert can show a different scale. Kitui County's October 2026 vacancies, for example, list Clerical Officer II as CPSB 13 (F), Registered Nurse III as CPSB 11 (H), and Chief Health Administrative Officer as CPSB 04 (Q). The official page also tells applicants which documents to submit and where to apply. This is why the specific county's current notice is the document to follow.
Grade normally links a job to a basic-salary scale, not to one guaranteed take-home amount. The actual point on a scale, the current SRC-approved structure, the employment terms and any allowances stated for that post matter. Check whether the advert says permanent and pensionable, contract or another term.
SRC explains that job evaluation informs how it sets, reviews or advises on remuneration and benefits structures. This is why a grade is a pay-structure reference, while the current official job advert remains the safest source for the amount attached to a vacancy.
| Check | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Employer and recruiting body | Confirm whether it is a ministry, commission, state corporation or county CPSB. |
| Job title and grade | Record both labels where the advert gives an old job group and a CPSB or CSG grade. |
| Salary and terms | Read the stated basic scale, allowances, if any, and whether the role is permanent and pensionable or contract. |
| Minimum requirements | Match the exact academic, professional-registration, experience and other requirements in that vacancy. |
| Closing date and application method | Apply only through the official route in the live notice before its deadline. |
Keep a copy of the advert and your application. A grade can help you search for comparable opportunities, but it cannot replace the detailed requirements for the particular cadre.
In SRC's county executive conversion table effective 1 July 2020, job group H converted to CPSB 11. Confirm the label and pay in the current advert from the county recruiting you.
A grade is part of a hierarchy and salary structure, and promotion is defined by the PSC as involving added responsibility or a higher salary or scale. But use the current employer's advertised scale rather than assuming a nationwide amount from the grade alone.
Applicants do not normally bring a government grade with them. The employer assigns the advertised post a grade. You must meet the vacancy's stated qualifications, experience and any other requirements.
Not necessarily. The SRC county circular used here was effective from 1 July 2020. It is useful for the job-group-to-CPSB conversion, but jobseekers should rely on the latest official notice or ask the recruiting employer for the applicable current scale.
No. Do not pay anyone for a job or to influence recruitment. Follow only the official employer's application instructions and report requests for money through the appropriate official channels.