UN P-5 Salary in Cotonou, Benin

What an internationally recruited Professional (P-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
Jobs 2 Salary & Benefits Living & Relocation

P-5 salary in 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 137,416
Net rem · step 1
USD 152,919
Net rem · mid
USD 168,419
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +33% 13 steps Hardship B January 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 33% 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 33% post adjustment for Cotonou. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+33%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 103,165USD 34,251USD 137,416USD 114,866
Step 2USD 105,105USD 34,895USD 140,000USD 117,006
Step 3USD 107,047USD 35,540USD 142,587USD 119,149
Step 4USD 108,983USD 36,182USD 145,165USD 121,285
Step 5USD 110,925USD 36,827USD 147,752USD 123,428
Step 6USD 112,861USD 37,470USD 150,331USD 125,564
Step 7USD 114,804USD 38,115USD 152,919USD 127,708
Step 8USD 116,742USD 38,758USD 155,500USD 129,846
Step 9USD 118,683USD 39,403USD 158,086USD 131,987
Step 10USD 120,621USD 40,046USD 160,667USD 134,126
Step 11USD 122,562USD 40,691USD 163,253USD 136,267
Step 12USD 124,498USD 41,333USD 165,831USD 138,403
Step 13USD 126,441USD 41,978USD 168,419USD 140,547

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 in Cotonou

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

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+33%
Hardship allowanceICSC category BUSD 7,330
Mobility incentiveFrom the 2nd assignment onwardUSD 8,625 +
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 for Cotonou — plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home in 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).

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 in Cotonou

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 in Cotonou (2 open)

EBRD Analyst, ASBEBRD · Unspecified UNOPS Project Manager (Infrastructure)UNOPS · Mid Level View all UN jobs in Cotonou

Frequently asked

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

A Professional P-5 in Cotonou, Benin has a net base salary of about USD 103,165 (step 1) to USD 126,441 (top step). With the 33% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 137,209 to USD 168,167 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a P-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 P-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 for Cotonou
These are UN common-system pay figures. The World Bank, IMF and NGOs and other non-UN employers posting in Cotonou 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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