Compensation and Perks
Working with the United Nations comes with a compelling package of compensation and perks. For internationally recruited professionals and higher categories, pay is benchmarked against the most competitive national civil services. Locally recruited staff enjoy compensation in line with the best local employment conditions.
Professional and Higher Categories
If you’re in this category, you’re usually recruited from an international pool. Your salary is determined by a global scale, with additional benefits that consider your dependents and the cost of living where you’re stationed.
- Net Base Salary: Your salary starts with a global base.
- Post Adjustment: A crucial, non-pensionable addition to your salary, post adjustment ensures your earnings maintain the same purchasing power across different locations compared to New York, the reference city. This rate fluctuates monthly and is applied on top of your base salary.
To check current post adjustment rates, visit the International Civil Service Commission website.
Additional Perks
As a UN employee, you may qualify for various other allowances and benefits:
- Rental Subsidy: If your rent is a significant portion of your income, you might get assistance.
- Dependency Allowances: Available if you have a qualifying dependent spouse or children.
- Education Grant: Covers schooling expenses for eligible children.
- Relocation Expenses: Includes travel and shipping costs when moving between duty stations.
- Settling-In Grant: Helps cover initial extraordinary costs at a new duty station.
- Hardship Allowance: Paid at certain locations with challenging living conditions. If family can’t join you, a non-family service allowance may also be granted.
- Danger Pay & Recuperation Breaks: Offered in hazardous or stressful locations.
- Repatriation Grant: Available under certain conditions.
- Mobility Incentive: Encourages movement to different duty stations.
Time Off
Your leave depends on your contract type, ranging from 18 to 30 days annually. The UN also observes 10 paid holidays each year, which vary by location. Additionally, you may qualify for home leave travel to reconnect with your roots.
Health Insurance
You can join one of the UN’s medical insurance plans, with premiums shared between you and the organization.
Retirement Pension
With a contract of six months or more, or after completing six months of uninterrupted service, you’ll automatically join the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund, contributing a portion of your salary.
General Services and Related Categories
For locally recruited staff, pay is determined by local salary scales, regularly reviewed against prevailing local employment standards.
Tax Exemption
UN salaries, grants, and allowances are typically exempt from income tax.
Field Service Category
For this internationally recruited category, compensation follows a global scale, with consideration for your dependents and local cost of living.
- Annual Net Base Salary: Your starting point.
- Post Adjustment: Ensures consistent purchasing power across global locations, adjusted monthly.
More Allowances and Benefits
Eligible for similar perks as the professional category, including:
- Rental Subsidy, Dependency Allowances, Education Grant, Relocation Expenses, Settling-In Grant, Hardship Allowance, Danger Pay, Repatriation Grant, and Mobility Incentive.
Disclaimer
This overview provides a general sense of UN service conditions. Your actual contract will align with the UN Staff Regulations and Rules, which are the authoritative source for legal and administrative details.
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