UN FS-5 Salary — Cotonou, Benin

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-5) 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

FS-5 salary — Cotonou, at a glance

Internationally recruited Field Service (FS) — the UN’s worldwide FS scale plus this station’s post adjustment. Recruited locally? See the GS/NO local scale.

USD 82,950
Net rem · step 1
USD 95,311
Net rem · mid
USD 107,674
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +33% 13 steps Hardship B January 2026 Checked Nov 7, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 33% post adjustment (net base USD 62,275–USD 80,836), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-5 salary scale — by step

Worldwide Field Service net base (UN OneHR), effective January 2026, with the 33% post adjustment for Cotonou. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+33%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 62,275USD 20,675USD 82,950USD 69,700
Step 2USD 63,817USD 21,187USD 85,004USD 71,406
Step 3USD 65,366USD 21,702USD 87,068USD 73,119
Step 4USD 66,909USD 22,214USD 89,123USD 74,825
Step 5USD 68,459USD 22,728USD 91,187USD 76,540
Step 6USD 70,006USD 23,242USD 93,248USD 78,251
Step 7USD 71,555USD 23,756USD 95,311USD 79,964
Step 8USD 73,100USD 24,269USD 97,369USD 81,673
Step 9USD 74,652USD 24,784USD 99,436USD 83,390
Step 10USD 76,195USD 25,297USD 101,492USD 85,096
Step 11USD 77,743USD 25,811USD 103,554USD 86,808
Step 12USD 79,291USD 26,325USD 105,616USD 88,521
Step 13USD 80,836USD 26,838USD 107,674USD 90,228

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 FS-5 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+33%
Hardship allowanceICSC category BUSD 6,110
Mobility incentiveFrom the 2nd assignment onwardUSD 6,900 +
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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Field Service net base: UN OneHR scale effective January 2026. The pension line uses pensionable remuneration derived from the ICSC Professional scale (FS figures are no longer published).
Net salary (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) and Field Service (FS) 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.

FS-1 FS-2 FS-3 FS-4 FS-6 FS-7

UN jobs — Cotonou (5 open)

Enabel Assistant.te de directionEnabel · Unspecified Enabel Assistant.te de directionEnabel · Unspecified UNICEF Programme Assistant (G-5), FT, #058666, Cotonou, Benin - WCARUNICEF · G-5 World Bank Investment Officer, InfrastructureWorld Bank · GG Afreximbank Relationship Manager - ARISE Implant (China Corridor)Afreximbank · Unspecified View all UN jobs — Cotonou

Frequently asked

What is the FS-5 salary at the UN in Cotonou?

A Field Service FS-5 in Cotonou, Benin has a net base salary of about USD 62,275 (step 1) to USD 80,836 (top step). With the 33% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 82,826 to USD 107,512 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

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