UN P-5 Salary — Cairns, Australia

What an internationally recruited Professional (P-5) 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-5 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 142,884
Net rem · step 1
USD 159,004
Net rem · mid
USD 175,121
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 103,165–USD 126,441), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

P-5 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 103,165USD 39,719USD 142,884USD 120,197
Step 2USD 105,105USD 40,465USD 145,570USD 122,438
Step 3USD 107,047USD 41,213USD 148,260USD 124,681
Step 4USD 108,983USD 41,958USD 150,941USD 126,917
Step 5USD 110,925USD 42,706USD 153,631USD 129,160
Step 6USD 112,861USD 43,451USD 156,312USD 131,396
Step 7USD 114,804USD 44,200USD 159,004USD 133,640
Step 8USD 116,742USD 44,946USD 161,688USD 135,878
Step 9USD 118,683USD 45,693USD 164,376USD 138,120
Step 10USD 120,621USD 46,439USD 167,060USD 140,359
Step 11USD 122,562USD 47,186USD 169,748USD 142,601
Step 12USD 124,498USD 47,932USD 172,430USD 144,837
Step 13USD 126,441USD 48,680USD 175,121USD 147,081

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-5 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-4 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-5 salary at the UN in Cairns?

A Professional P-5 in Cairns, Australia has a net base salary of about USD 103,165 (step 1) to USD 126,441 (top step). With the 39% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 143,399 to USD 175,753 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a P-5 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-5 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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