UN FS-1 Salary — Kabul, Afghanistan

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-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

FS-1 salary — Kabul, at a glance

Internationally recruited Field Service (FS) — the UN’s worldwide FS scale plus this station’s post adjustment. Recruited locally? See the GS/NO local scale.

USD 52,959
Net rem · step 1
USD 59,953
Net rem · mid
USD 66,933
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +37% 13 steps Hardship E January 2026 Checked Nov 9, 2026 Danger-pay station Non-family

Net remuneration = net base + 37% post adjustment (net base USD 38,544–USD 48,714), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-1 salary scale — by step

Worldwide Field Service net base (UN OneHR), effective January 2026, with the 37% post adjustment for Kabul. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+37%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 38,544USD 14,415USD 52,959USD 44,910
Step 2USD 39,393USD 14,733USD 54,126USD 45,888
Step 3USD 40,238USD 15,049USD 55,287USD 46,862
Step 4USD 41,085USD 15,366USD 56,451USD 47,838
Step 5USD 41,932USD 15,683USD 57,615USD 48,814
Step 6USD 42,787USD 16,002USD 58,789USD 49,799
Step 7USD 43,634USD 16,319USD 59,953USD 50,775
Step 8USD 44,477USD 16,634USD 61,111USD 51,746
Step 9USD 45,329USD 16,953USD 62,282USD 52,727
Step 10USD 46,176USD 17,270USD 63,446USD 53,703
Step 11USD 47,021USD 17,586USD 64,607USD 54,677
Step 12USD 47,866USD 17,902USD 65,768USD 55,650
Step 13USD 48,714USD 18,219USD 66,933USD 56,628

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 — Kabul

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

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+37%
Hardship allowanceICSC category EUSD 18,340
Mobility incentiveFrom the 2nd assignment onwardUSD 6,900 +
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 — Kabul, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — 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).

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Field Service net base: UN OneHR scale effective January 2026. The pension line uses pensionable remuneration derived from the ICSC Professional scale (FS figures are no longer published).
Net salary (local scale)
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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) and Field Service (FS) pay is in US dollars; GS/NO on the local scale in local currency. For information only — not official advice.

Other Professional grades — Kabul

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

FS-2 FS-3 FS-4 FS-5 FS-6 FS-7

UN jobs — Kabul (22 open)

UN OIOS CHIEF OF SECTION, AUDITUN OIOS · P-5 HI Business Developer SpecialistHI · Unspecified IOM Deputy Chief of Mission (P)IOM · P-5 UNAMA Risk Management OfficerUNAMA · P-4 IOM Grants, CBI, & Compliance AssistantIOM · G-4 View all UN jobs — Kabul

Frequently asked

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

A Field Service FS-1 in Kabul, Afghanistan has a net base salary of about USD 38,544 (step 1) to USD 48,714 (top step). With the 37% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 52,805 to USD 66,738 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-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 FS-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 — Kabul
These are UN common-system pay figures. The World Bank, IMF and NGOs and other non-UN employers posting here 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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