UN D-2 Salary — Cotonou, Benin

What an internationally recruited Director (D-2) earns at the UN in Cotonou — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 33% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category B Post Adjustment % 33.2 Cost of living 34 (US=100) HDI Rank #173

D-2 salary — Cotonou, 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 173,795
Net rem · step 1
USD 187,631
Net rem · mid
USD 204,922
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +33% 10 steps Hardship B January 2026 Checked Oct 1, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 33% post adjustment (net base USD 130,477–USD 153,845), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

D-2 salary scale — by step

Global net base (un_scale), effective January 2026, with the 33% post adjustment for Cotonou. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+33%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 130,477USD 43,318USD 173,795USD 145,000
Step 2USD 133,072USD 44,180USD 177,252USD 147,863
Step 3USD 135,667USD 45,041USD 180,708USD 150,726
Step 4USD 138,265USD 45,904USD 184,169USD 153,593
Step 5USD 140,864USD 46,767USD 187,631USD 156,460
Step 6USD 143,460USD 47,629USD 191,089USD 159,324
Step 7USD 146,055USD 48,490USD 194,545USD 162,187
Step 8USD 148,654USD 49,353USD 198,007USD 165,055
Step 9USD 151,249USD 50,215USD 201,464USD 167,918
Step 10USD 153,845USD 51,077USD 204,922USD 170,782

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 — Cotonou

Allowances an internationally recruited D-2 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+33%
Hardship allowanceICSC category BUSD 8,560
Mobility incentiveFrom the 2nd assignment onwardUSD 10,350 +
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 — Cotonou, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Benin

An estimate for a UN post at Cotonou, Benin — 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 — Cotonou

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

P-1 P-2 P-3 P-4 P-5 D-1

UN jobs — Cotonou (4 open)

UNFPA Assistant.e personnel.le du Représentant, Cotonou, Bénin, G6UNFPA · G6 FHI 360 Technical Advisor PolioFHI 360 · Unspecified FHI 360 Technical Officer PolioFHI 360 · Unspecified Afreximbank Relationship Manager - ARISE Implant (China Corridor)Afreximbank · Unspecified View all UN jobs — Cotonou

Frequently asked

What is the D-2 salary at the UN in Cotonou?

A Director D-2 in Cotonou, Benin has a net base salary of about USD 130,477 (step 1) to USD 153,845 (top step). With the 33% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 173,534 to USD 204,614 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a D-2 in Cotonou?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Cotonou it is about 33% of net base salary, added on top — so the same D-2 net base is worth more or less depending on the station’s cost of living.

What is the cost of living in Cotonou, Benin?

Everyday prices in Benin are roughly 34% 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 Cotonou is 113/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 13% further here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Cotonou
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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