UN P-3 Salary in Cairns, Australia

What an internationally recruited Professional (P-3) earns at the UN in Cairns — the global net base salary plus this duty station's 40% 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 40% multiplier — and the salary below — applies to Cairns exactly as it does to Canberra.

Hardship Category H Post Adjustment 39.8% Cost of living 91 (US=100) HDI Rank #7

P-3 salary in 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 99,726
Net rem · step 1
USD 114,257
Net rem · mid
USD 128,794
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +40% 13 steps Hardship H January 2026 Checked 1 Sep 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 40% post adjustment (net base USD 71,335–USD 92,127), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

P-3 salary scale — by step

Global net base (un_scale), effective January 2026, with the 40% post adjustment for Cairns. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+40%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 71,335USD 28,391USD 99,726USD 84,311
Step 2USD 73,068USD 29,081USD 102,149USD 86,340
Step 3USD 74,801USD 29,771USD 104,572USD 88,368
Step 4USD 76,531USD 30,459USD 106,990USD 90,392
Step 5USD 78,266USD 31,150USD 109,416USD 92,423
Step 6USD 79,997USD 31,839USD 111,836USD 94,449
Step 7USD 81,729USD 32,528USD 114,257USD 96,474
Step 8USD 83,463USD 33,218USD 116,681USD 98,499
Step 9USD 85,195USD 33,908USD 119,103USD 100,522
Step 10USD 86,926USD 34,597USD 121,523USD 102,543
Step 11USD 88,662USD 35,287USD 123,949USD 104,570
Step 12USD 90,394USD 35,977USD 126,371USD 106,592
Step 13USD 92,127USD 36,667USD 128,794USD 108,616

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 in Cairns

Allowances an internationally recruited P-3 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+40%
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 for Cairns — plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home in 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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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.
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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 in Cairns

Same duty station, different grade — see the full scale for each.

P-1 P-2 P-4 P-5 D-1 D-2

UN jobs in Cairns (1 open)

Save the Children Senior Practitioner - Ohana Academy Integrated Case ManagementSave the Children · Unspecified View all UN jobs in Cairns

Frequently asked

What is the P-3 salary at the UN in Cairns?

A Professional P-3 in Cairns, Australia has a net base salary of about USD 71,335 (step 1) to USD 92,127 (top step). With the 40% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 99,869 to USD 128,978 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a P-3 in Cairns?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Cairns it is about 40% of net base salary, added on top — so the same P-3 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 84/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 16% less far here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power for Cairns
These are UN common-system pay figures. The World Bank, IMF and NGOs and other non-UN employers posting in Cairns 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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