Civil Servant vs. Public Servant
Main DifferencePeople often get mix up when trying to differentiate between both these terms, Civil Servant and Public Servant. Apart from many alikes, both these bear a thick difference that clearly apart them. Civil Servant and Public Servant, both are the government jobs, though people in both of them are designated through totally different pattern. Civil Servants are opted by the government departments through the competitive exams like Public Service Commission and Central Service Commission, while public servants are chosen by department written test and interviews. Civil Servants are the bureaucratic class that are always appointed for the white collar job. In case of Public Servant, both the white and blue collar jobs are offered.

Difference Between Civil Servant and Public Servant
Civil Servant vs. Public Servant
Civil servants are the bureaucratic, top class employees, whereas a public servant can be in top ranks and even in the worker class.
Civil Servant vs. Public Servant
Civil servants are the employees designated on top ranks, while public servants are employed on both, top and bottom ranks.
Civil Servant vs. Public Servant
Civil servants are always designated for white collar job, whereas public servants can be designated for both, the white and blue collar job.
Civil Servant vs. Public Servant
Generally, civil servants have more salary and facilities than the public servants.
Civil Servant vs. Public Servant
Civil Servant is appointed purely on merit, whereas nepotism and favoritism can work for appointment of a public servant.
Civil Servant vs. Public Servant
Civil Servants are always highly educated, though a middle pass can be a public servant.
Civil Servant vs. Public Servant
As civil servants are on top notch of organizations or departments, they have more responsibility than the public servants.
Comparison Chart
Civil Servant | Public Servant |
Civil servants are selected through the competitive exams. | Public servants are selected through some department test or interviews. |
Position | |
Civil servants are the employees designated on top ranks. | Public servants are employed on both, top and bottom ranks. |
Job Type | |
Always white collar. | It can be both, blue or white collar. |
Salary plus perks & Privileges | |
More | Less |
Nepotism or Favoritism | |
No, it is totally on merit. | Can be |
Education | |
Highly educated | It can be both, highly educated to just an ordinary literate. |
Responsibility | |
More | Less |
What is Civil Servant?
The individual chosen through Public Service Commission, Central Service Commission or any other competitive exams for the government job is called a civil servant. The top brains compete each other in the competitive exams as the bureaucratic class jobs are being offered in it. Furthermore, the civil servant is appointed on top notch in different organization or department. Usually, the expertise in their field with extra intelligence are designated as civil servants after proving their metal in competitive exam. As like the common mindset, nepotism and favoritism has nothing to take part while one is opted as a civil servant, it totally depends upon the merit. Generally, civil servants are the top leaders of their organizations, who lead from the front to serve the public. Civil servants are the government employees, like the public servants.
What is Public Servant?
They are people designated on government jobs with aim to serve the public, though the jobs they are being appointed can be both, white collar or blue collar. They serve in the top ranks and are also designated as workers. Like a manager of the bank is the public servant, and so is the guard standing out of that bank. Public servant are employees after they clear the department test or sometimes the interview even makes them eligible for the job. All the professionals in the government jobs are refereed as public servants, civil servant is a further type of public servant as both of them work in the government ranks to serve the public. In some situations, even the politicians or the legislators elected are even called public servants as they also work to serve the public.