UN P-2 Salary — Cairns, Australia

What an internationally recruited Professional (P-2) 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-2 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 77,624
Net rem · step 1
USD 90,504
Net rem · mid
USD 103,376
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 56,046–USD 74,640), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

P-2 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 56,046USD 21,578USD 77,624USD 65,677
Step 2USD 57,594USD 22,174USD 79,768USD 67,477
Step 3USD 59,142USD 22,770USD 81,912USD 69,277
Step 4USD 60,692USD 23,366USD 84,058USD 71,080
Step 5USD 62,243USD 23,964USD 86,207USD 72,881
Step 6USD 63,794USD 24,561USD 88,355USD 74,677
Step 7USD 65,346USD 25,158USD 90,504USD 76,474
Step 8USD 66,890USD 25,753USD 92,643USD 78,261
Step 9USD 68,441USD 26,350USD 94,791USD 80,057
Step 10USD 69,990USD 26,946USD 96,936USD 81,850
Step 11USD 71,540USD 27,543USD 99,083USD 83,644
Step 12USD 73,093USD 28,141USD 101,234USD 85,442
Step 13USD 74,640USD 28,736USD 103,376USD 87,233

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-2 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).

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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) 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-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-2 salary at the UN in Cairns?

A Professional P-2 in Cairns, Australia has a net base salary of about USD 56,046 (step 1) to USD 74,640 (top step). With the 39% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 77,904 to USD 103,750 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a P-2 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-2 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
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