Bank PO or Bank Clerk-Which offers You a Better salary?

Banking jobs are one of the most desirable, reputable, lucrative and secure government jobs in India. Every year, conducting bodies, like SBI and IBPS, organize national level exams for the recruitment of entry-level posts like the Bank PO and Bank Clerk. Both the posts guarantee growth to employees who are dedicated and smart. You can find immense growth opportunities in both jobs, along with a handsome salary.

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However, there is little difference between the two exams. The main difference is that the Bank Clerk position is below Bank PO posts, whereas the exam pattern and eligibility criteria of both the exams are similar.

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Eligibility Criteria for Bank PO and Bank Clerk

The eligibility criteria for both Bank PO and Clerk are similar except for the age limit which varies for the positions. For Bank PO, the age limit is higher. There is also a limit to the number of attempts you can make in the SBI PO Exam, whereas there is no such limit for the IBPS PO Exam.

For IBPS PO, the age limit is between 20 to 30 years. Plus, there is 5 years of relaxation for reserved categories. For IBPS Clerk, the age limit is between 20 to 28 years, and up to 5 years of age relaxation is allowed for reserved categories.

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The SBI PO syllabus and SBI Clerk syllabus are listed below:

SBI PO syllabus	SBI Clerk syllabus
Prelims: Quantitative Aptitude Reasoning Ability English Language	Prelims: Quantitative Aptitude Reasoning Ability English Language
Mains: Data Analysis & Interpretation Reasoning & Computer Aptitude General/Economy/Banking Awareness English Language	Mains: English Language Quantitative Aptitude Reasoning Ability General Awareness

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Bank PO salary vs Bank Clerk salary

The major difference between IBPS PO and IBPS Clerk salary lies in the salary structure and perks offered for both the banking posts. The entry-level pay package is also offered by SBI and other banks are also significantly different. For instance, the pay scale in SBI is much higher when you compare it with the pay scales of banks participating in IBPS. Plus, the perks in SBI are much more for the same designation/post than in banks in IBPS.

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Given below, in the table, is the salary range offered by banks who participate in the exam through IBPS:

IBPS PO salary	IBPS Clerk salary
Pay Scale – Rs. 23,700/- Rs 42,020/-	Pay Scale- Rs.13,075/- Rs. 31,540/-
Perks & Allowances: Dearness allowance City Compensatory allowance House rent allowance Special allowance	Perks & Allowances: Dearness allowance House rent allowance Medical Insurance Travelling allowance

Compare the table given above with the table given below to know the Salary range offered by the SBI:

IBPS PO salary	IBPS Clerk salary
Pay Scale – Rs. 27,620/- Rs 42,020/-	Pay Scale- Rs.13,075/- Rs. 31,540/-
Perks & Allowances – Dearness allowance City Compensatory allowance Leased house accommodation Furniture allowance Medical allowance Travelling allowance Petrol Miscellaneous Loan benefits	Perks & Allowances Dearness allowance House accommodation Pension Medical Insurance Provident Fund

It is clear from the above-mentioned tables that Bank PO can prove to be a more beneficial position to start your career with. Although Bank PO is a better paying job than Bank Clerk, it also demands the fulfilment of various additional responsibilities right from day one of joining your job. A Bank PO job can also become a little tougher than a clerical job for someone with no earlier job experience.

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Career Growth and Promotion- Bank PO vs Bank Clerk

Those students who are geared up to face either Bank PO or Bank Clerk exam should know that the Probation officers can always become eligible to enjoy promotion and growth after fulfilling certain conditions. The growth factor is perhaps the most attractive feature of this job that attracts uncountable aspirants to try their destiny by testing their skills. Once you get employed in any of the Banks as either Bank Po or Clerk, you get chunks of opportunities to grow by getting promotions to higher posts while working.

You can get promoted as a Bank PO usually within a period of 2 years, whereas, as a Bank Clerk you may take more time to get a promotion, to jump from one post to the other.

In Bank PO Job, you can climb up ladder up to grab 9 higher positions that are given below:

1. Probation Officer
2. Assistant Manager
3. Deputy Manager
4. Manager
5. Chief Manager
6. Chief General Manager
7. Deputy Managing Director
8. Managing Director
9. Chairman

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And here are the Posts an employee can get promoted to:

• Scale 1 – Officer/Assistant Manager
• Scale 2 – Manager
• Scale 3 – Senior Manager
• Scale 4 – Chief Manager
• Scale 5 – Asst. General Manager
• Scale 6 – Deputy General Manager
• Scale 7 – General Manager.

Conclusion

To conclude, you should know that beating the Bank PO exam is relatively tougher than beating the Bank Clerk exam. But the candidates who make a proper study plan coupled with an effective strategy and keep checking their strengths and weaknesses via Mock Test regularly, are bound to win.