UN P-1 Salary — Cairns, Australia

What an internationally recruited Professional (P-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

P-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 60,710
Net rem · step 1
USD 71,639
Net rem · mid
USD 82,570
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 43,834–USD 59,617), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

P-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 43,834USD 16,876USD 60,710USD 51,475
Step 2USD 45,150USD 17,383USD 62,533USD 53,005
Step 3USD 46,465USD 17,889USD 64,354USD 54,535
Step 4USD 47,780USD 18,395USD 66,175USD 56,064
Step 5USD 49,094USD 18,901USD 67,995USD 57,592
Step 6USD 50,412USD 19,409USD 69,821USD 59,125
Step 7USD 51,725USD 19,914USD 71,639USD 60,652
Step 8USD 53,041USD 20,421USD 73,462USD 62,182
Step 9USD 54,356USD 20,927USD 75,283USD 63,711
Step 10USD 55,673USD 21,434USD 77,107USD 65,243
Step 11USD 56,986USD 21,940USD 78,926USD 66,770
Step 12USD 58,300USD 22,446USD 80,746USD 68,298
Step 13USD 59,617USD 22,953USD 82,570USD 69,829

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 P-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-2 P-3 P-4 P-5 D-1 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 P-1 salary at the UN in Cairns?

A Professional P-1 in Cairns, Australia has a net base salary of about USD 43,834 (step 1) to USD 59,617 (top step). With the 39% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 60,929 to USD 82,868 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a P-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 P-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