UN FS-5 Salary — Kabul, Afghanistan

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-5) 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-5 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 85,566
Net rem · step 1
USD 98,317
Net rem · mid
USD 111,069
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 62,275–USD 80,836), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-5 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 62,275USD 23,291USD 85,566USD 72,250
Step 2USD 63,817USD 23,868USD 87,685USD 74,019
Step 3USD 65,366USD 24,447USD 89,813USD 75,796
Step 4USD 66,909USD 25,024USD 91,933USD 77,565
Step 5USD 68,459USD 25,604USD 94,063USD 79,343
Step 6USD 70,006USD 26,182USD 96,188USD 81,118
Step 7USD 71,555USD 26,762USD 98,317USD 82,894
Step 8USD 73,100USD 27,339USD 100,439USD 84,667
Step 9USD 74,652USD 27,920USD 102,572USD 86,447
Step 10USD 76,195USD 28,497USD 104,692USD 88,216
Step 11USD 77,743USD 29,076USD 106,819USD 89,992
Step 12USD 79,291USD 29,655USD 108,946USD 91,767
Step 13USD 80,836USD 30,233USD 111,069USD 93,539

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

UN jobs — Kabul (19 open)

IOM Public Health Officer (Emergency Health) (P)IOM · P-3 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 View all UN jobs — Kabul

Frequently asked

What is the FS-5 salary at the UN in Kabul?

A Field Service FS-5 in Kabul, Afghanistan has a net base salary of about USD 62,275 (step 1) to USD 80,836 (top step). With the 37% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 85,317 to USD 110,745 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-5 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-5 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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