UN P-5 Salary — Townsville, Australia

What an internationally recruited Professional (P-5) earns at the UN in Townsville — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 42% 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 42% multiplier — and the salary below — applies to Townsville exactly as it does to Canberra.

Hardship Category H Post Adjustment % 41.9 Cost of living 91 (US=100) HDI Rank #7

P-5 salary — Townsville, 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 146,391
Net rem · step 1
USD 162,907
Net rem · mid
USD 179,420
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +42% 13 steps Hardship H January 2026 Checked Oct 1, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 42% 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 42% post adjustment for Townsville. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+42%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 103,165USD 43,226USD 146,391USD 123,617
Step 2USD 105,105USD 44,039USD 149,144USD 125,922
Step 3USD 107,047USD 44,853USD 151,900USD 128,229
Step 4USD 108,983USD 45,664USD 154,647USD 130,530
Step 5USD 110,925USD 46,478USD 157,403USD 132,837
Step 6USD 112,861USD 47,289USD 160,150USD 135,137
Step 7USD 114,804USD 48,103USD 162,907USD 137,446
Step 8USD 116,742USD 48,915USD 165,657USD 139,748
Step 9USD 118,683USD 49,728USD 168,411USD 142,055
Step 10USD 120,621USD 50,540USD 171,161USD 144,357
Step 11USD 122,562USD 51,353USD 173,915USD 146,664
Step 12USD 124,498USD 52,165USD 176,663USD 148,964
Step 13USD 126,441USD 52,979USD 179,420USD 151,272

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 — Townsville

Allowances an internationally recruited P-5 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+42%
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 — Townsville, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Australia

An estimate for a UN post at Townsville, 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 — Townsville

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 — Townsville (1 open)

Save the Children Child and Family Specialist - Play2LearnSave the Children · Unspecified View all UN jobs — Townsville

Frequently asked

What is the P-5 salary at the UN in Townsville?

A Professional P-5 in Townsville, Australia has a net base salary of about USD 103,165 (step 1) to USD 126,441 (top step). With the 42% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 146,494 to USD 179,546 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a P-5 in Townsville?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Townsville it is about 42% 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 Townsville, 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 Townsville is 85/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) goes about 15% less far here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Townsville
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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