UN P-4 Salary — Cairns, Australia

What an internationally recruited Professional (P-4) 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-4 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 119,147
Net rem · step 1
USD 134,704
Net rem · mid
USD 150,252
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 86,027–USD 108,485), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

P-4 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 86,027USD 33,120USD 119,147USD 100,403
Step 2USD 87,898USD 33,841USD 121,739USD 102,564
Step 3USD 89,771USD 34,562USD 124,333USD 104,727
Step 4USD 91,641USD 35,282USD 126,923USD 106,887
Step 5USD 93,513USD 36,003USD 129,516USD 109,049
Step 6USD 95,384USD 36,723USD 132,107USD 111,210
Step 7USD 97,259USD 37,445USD 134,704USD 113,376
Step 8USD 99,130USD 38,165USD 137,295USD 115,537
Step 9USD 101,002USD 38,886USD 139,888USD 117,699
Step 10USD 102,870USD 39,605USD 142,475USD 119,856
Step 11USD 104,746USD 40,327USD 145,073USD 122,023
Step 12USD 106,613USD 41,046USD 147,659USD 124,179
Step 13USD 108,485USD 41,767USD 150,252USD 126,342

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

A Professional P-4 in Cairns, Australia has a net base salary of about USD 86,027 (step 1) to USD 108,485 (top step). With the 39% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 119,578 to USD 150,794 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a P-4 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-4 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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