UN FS-3 Salary — Kabul, Afghanistan

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-3) 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-3 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 66,955
Net rem · step 1
USD 75,962
Net rem · mid
USD 84,963
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 48,730–USD 61,836), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-3 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 48,730USD 18,225USD 66,955USD 56,646
Step 2USD 49,829USD 18,636USD 68,465USD 57,912
Step 3USD 50,918USD 19,043USD 69,961USD 59,167
Step 4USD 52,007USD 19,451USD 71,458USD 60,422
Step 5USD 53,097USD 19,858USD 72,955USD 61,678
Step 6USD 54,194USD 20,269USD 74,463USD 62,942
Step 7USD 55,285USD 20,677USD 75,962USD 64,199
Step 8USD 56,376USD 21,085USD 77,461USD 65,456
Step 9USD 57,471USD 21,494USD 78,965USD 66,717
Step 10USD 58,555USD 21,900USD 80,455USD 67,966
Step 11USD 59,646USD 22,308USD 81,954USD 69,223
Step 12USD 60,743USD 22,718USD 83,461USD 70,487
Step 13USD 61,836USD 23,127USD 84,963USD 71,745

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-3 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-1 FS-2 FS-4 FS-5 FS-6 FS-7

UN jobs — Kabul (23 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-3 salary at the UN in Kabul?

A Field Service FS-3 in Kabul, Afghanistan has a net base salary of about USD 48,730 (step 1) to USD 61,836 (top step). With the 37% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 66,760 to USD 84,715 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-3 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-3 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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