UN D-1 Salary in Kabul, Afghanistan

What an internationally recruited Director (D-1) earns at the UN in Kabul — the global net base salary plus this duty station's 37% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category E Non-Family Duty Station Danger-Pay Location Post Adjustment 37.4% Cost of living 19 (US=100) HDI Rank #181
Jobs 23 Salary & Benefits Living & Relocation

D-1 salary in Kabul — at a glance

Internationally recruited Professional & Director (P/D) — the global USD scale plus this station's post adjustment. Recruited locally? See the GS/NO local scale.

USD 162,067
Net rem · step 1
USD 180,865
Net rem · mid
USD 199,656
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +37% 13 steps Hardship E January 2026 Danger-pay station Non-family

Net remuneration = net base + 37% post adjustment (net base USD 117,953–USD 145,310), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

D-1 salary scale — by step

Global net base (un_scale), effective January 2026, with the 37% post adjustment for Kabul. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+37%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 117,953USD 44,114USD 162,067USD 136,012
Step 2USD 120,232USD 44,967USD 165,199USD 138,620
Step 3USD 122,516USD 45,821USD 168,337USD 141,233
Step 4USD 124,798USD 46,674USD 171,472USD 143,845
Step 5USD 127,071USD 47,525USD 174,596USD 146,446
Step 6USD 129,354USD 48,378USD 177,732USD 149,058
Step 7USD 131,634USD 49,231USD 180,865USD 151,667
Step 8USD 133,911USD 50,083USD 183,994USD 154,272
Step 9USD 136,194USD 50,937USD 187,131USD 156,885
Step 10USD 138,472USD 51,789USD 190,261USD 159,491
Step 11USD 140,752USD 52,641USD 193,393USD 162,100
Step 12USD 143,028USD 53,492USD 196,520USD 164,705
Step 13USD 145,310USD 54,346USD 199,656USD 167,316

Est. take-home deducts a 7.9% UNJSPF pension and an indicative 2.5% medical premium. Indicative — the estimator below computes single/dependency rates and your exact deductions.

On top of base salary in Kabul

Allowances an internationally recruited D-1 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+37%
Hardship allowanceICSC category EUSD 24,460
Mobility incentiveFrom the 2nd assignment onwardUSD 10,350 +
Danger paySecurity-risk designationUSD 19,740 (USD 1,645/mo)
Non-family allowanceWhen dependants may not accompany staffUSD 19,800 / USD 7,500 single
Spouse / single-parent allowanceDependent spouse, or first child if a single parent+6% of net remuneration
Child allowancePer dependent child (flat rate)USD 2,929 / child
See these allowances explained in full for Kabul — plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home in Afghanistan

An estimate for a UN post at Kabul, Afghanistan — for internationally recruited staff (Professional P / D, in US dollars) or locally recruited staff (General Service / National Officer, local scale).

You must already have 5 years' continuous UN service to qualify, and it applies from your 2nd duty station onward. Paid for up to 5 years at any one station.
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* Health insurance is indicative only — real premiums vary by organization, plan (medical and dental are billed separately) and coverage option. The ~2.5% shown is a placeholder, not a quote.

Indicative estimate — excludes rental subsidy, education grant and settling-in. Professional (P/D) pay is in US dollars; GS/NO on the local scale in local currency. For information only — not official advice.

Other Professional grades in Kabul

Same duty station, different grade — see the full scale for each.

P-1 P-2 P-3 P-4 P-5 D-2

UN jobs in Kabul (23 open)

UNICEF Batch recruitment: Planning & Monitoring Specialist, NO-3, Fixed Term Position, Mazar-i-Sharif (132850), Jalalabad (132849), Kabul Central Region (132848) Afghanistan (Open to Afghan Nationals only)UNICEF · NO-3 UNICEF Staff Counsellor, P-4, Fixed Term Position, Kabul, Afghanistan, #00132067UNICEF · P-4 UNOPS Information Management and Analytics AnalystUNOPS · Associate WFP International Consultant - Programme Policy Officer (Early Warning and Famine Prevention) CST IIWFP · Consultant Action contre la Faim HEAD OF DEPARTMENT GRANT AND PARTNERSHIP – AFGHANISTANAction contre la Faim · Unspecified View all UN jobs in Kabul

Frequently asked

What is the D-1 salary at the UN in Kabul?

A Director D-1 in Kabul, Afghanistan has a net base salary of about USD 117,953 (step 1) to USD 145,310 (top step). With the 37% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 161,596 to USD 199,075 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a D-1 in Kabul?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Kabul it is about 37% of net base salary, added on top — so the same D-1 net base is worth more or less depending on the station's cost of living.

Does Kabul qualify for UN danger pay?

Yes. Internationally recruited staff in Kabul may receive danger pay of about $1,645/month on top of salary and post adjustment.

Is Kabul a non-family duty station?

Yes. Dependants may not accompany staff in Kabul; internationally recruited staff receive an additional non-family allowance (about $19,800/year with eligible dependants, $7,500 without).

What is the cost of living in Kabul, Afghanistan?

Everyday prices in Afghanistan are roughly 19% of United States levels (World Bank price level index, US = 100). Post adjustment is designed to offset this. For internationally recruited (P/D) staff, our Real UN Purchasing Power estimate for Kabul is 132/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 32% further here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power for Kabul
These are UN common-system pay figures. The World Bank, IMF and NGOs and other non-UN employers posting in Kabul set their own pay — a role here does not guarantee these figures.

Salary & Benefits Tools

Pay Stack calculatorThe full take-home tool — any duty station, every allowance, built layer by layer UN salary scales by grade Post adjustment explained UN contracts & grade levels
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