UN D-1 Salary — Cairns, Australia

What an internationally recruited Director (D-1) earns at the UN in Cairns — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 39% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

The UN sets one post adjustment for Australia rather than for each duty station, so this 39% multiplier — and the salary below — applies to Cairns exactly as it does to Canberra.

Hardship Category H Post Adjustment % 38.5 Cost of living 91 (US=100) HDI Rank #7

D-1 salary — Cairns, 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 163,365
Net rem · step 1
USD 182,313
Net rem · mid
USD 201,254
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +39% 13 steps Hardship H January 2026 Checked Nov 1, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 39% 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 39% post adjustment for Cairns. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+39%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 117,953USD 45,412USD 163,365USD 137,277
Step 2USD 120,232USD 46,289USD 166,521USD 139,909
Step 3USD 122,516USD 47,169USD 169,685USD 142,547
Step 4USD 124,798USD 48,047USD 172,845USD 145,183
Step 5USD 127,071USD 48,922USD 175,993USD 147,808
Step 6USD 129,354USD 49,801USD 179,155USD 150,445
Step 7USD 131,634USD 50,679USD 182,313USD 153,079
Step 8USD 133,911USD 51,556USD 185,467USD 155,709
Step 9USD 136,194USD 52,435USD 188,629USD 158,346
Step 10USD 138,472USD 53,312USD 191,784USD 160,977
Step 11USD 140,752USD 54,190USD 194,942USD 163,610
Step 12USD 143,028USD 55,066USD 198,094USD 166,239
Step 13USD 145,310USD 55,944USD 201,254USD 168,874

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 — Cairns

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

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+39%
Hardship allowanceICSC category H — no hardship elementNot applicable
Mobility incentiveFrom the 2nd assignment onwardNot at H (HQ) stations
Danger paySecurity-risk designationNot a danger-pay station
Non-family allowanceWhen dependants may not accompany staffFamily duty station
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 — Cairns, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Australia

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

{{ unmatched }} is not a UN salary grade, so the figures below are not for it — the calculator has fallen back to its default. Pick a grade above, or see contract types and what they pay.
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.
Net remuneration (base + post adj.)
{{ money((netBase + postAdj) / divisor) }} / {{ periodWord }}
Gross base salary{{ money(grossBase / divisor) }}
Staff assessment (internal tax)− {{ money(staffAssessment / divisor) }}
Net base salary{{ money(netBase / divisor) }}
Post adjustment ({{ station.multiplier }}%)+ {{ money(postAdj / divisor) }}
Net remuneration{{ money((netBase + postAdj) / divisor) }}
Spouse allowance (6%)+ {{ money(spouseAllow / divisor) }}
Single-parent allowance (6%)+ {{ money(singleParentAllow / divisor) }}
Hardship allowance (cat {{ station.hardship }})+ {{ money(hardshipAllow / divisor) }}
Danger pay+ {{ money(dangerAllow / divisor) }}
Non-family allowance+ {{ money(nonFamilyAllow / divisor) }}
Mobility allowance ({{ assignments }} assignments)+ {{ money(mobilityAllow / divisor) }}
Child allowance ({{ children }})+ {{ money(childAllow / divisor) }}
Secondary dependant+ {{ money(secondaryAllow / divisor) }}
Pension contribution (7.9%)− {{ money(pension / divisor) }}
Health insurance *− {{ money(medical / divisor) }}
Estimated take-home{{ money(takeHome / divisor) }}
Net salary (local scale)
{{ localMoney(gsNet / divisor) }} / {{ periodWord }}
{{ gsLoading ? LOADING : '' }}
On the local GS/NO scale, in AUD, for {{ gDisp(gsGradeLabel) }}, {{ stepLabel(gsStep) }} (locally recruited staff). No post adjustment. Dependency & language allowances are <b>additional</b>.

* 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 — Cairns

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 — Cairns (2 open)

Save the Children Family Support Specialist Ohana Academy, CairnsSave the Children · Unspecified Save the Children Youth Specialist Ohana Academy CairnsSave the Children · Unspecified View all UN jobs — Cairns

Frequently asked

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

A Director D-1 in Cairns, Australia has a net base salary of about USD 117,953 (step 1) to USD 145,310 (top step). With the 39% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 163,955 to USD 201,981 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

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

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Cairns it is about 39% 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.

What is the cost of living in Cairns, Australia?

Everyday prices in Australia are roughly 91% 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 Cairns is 83/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) goes about 17% less far here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Cairns
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
Advertisement