UN FS-6 Salary — Alajuela, Costa Rica

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-6) earns at the UN in Alajuela — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 33% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

The UN sets one post adjustment for Costa Rica rather than for each duty station, so this 33% multiplier — and the salary below — applies to Alajuela exactly as it does to San Jose.

Hardship Category A Post Adjustment % 33.2 Cost of living 59 (US=100) HDI Rank #62

FS-6 salary — Alajuela, 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 95,615
Net rem · step 1
USD 110,098
Net rem · mid
USD 124,587
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +33% 13 steps Hardship A January 2026 Checked Nov 9, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 33% post adjustment (net base USD 71,783–USD 93,534), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-6 salary scale — by step

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

StepNet basePost adj (+33%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 71,783USD 23,832USD 95,615USD 80,216
Step 2USD 73,595USD 24,434USD 98,029USD 82,221
Step 3USD 75,410USD 25,036USD 100,446USD 84,228
Step 4USD 77,221USD 25,637USD 102,858USD 86,231
Step 5USD 79,031USD 26,238USD 105,269USD 88,233
Step 6USD 80,843USD 26,840USD 107,683USD 90,236
Step 7USD 82,656USD 27,442USD 110,098USD 92,238
Step 8USD 84,478USD 28,047USD 112,525USD 94,248
Step 9USD 86,285USD 28,647USD 114,932USD 96,242
Step 10USD 88,097USD 29,248USD 117,345USD 98,241
Step 11USD 89,913USD 29,851USD 119,764USD 100,245
Step 12USD 91,723USD 30,452USD 122,175USD 102,242
Step 13USD 93,534USD 31,053USD 124,587USD 104,240

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 — Alajuela

Allowances an internationally recruited FS-6 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+33%
Hardship allowanceICSC category A — no hardship elementNot applicable
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 — Alajuela, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Costa Rica

An estimate for a UN post at Alajuela, Costa Rica — 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).
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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 — Alajuela

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

FS-1 FS-2 FS-3 FS-4 FS-5 FS-7

UN jobs — Alajuela (1 open)

UNICEF Conusltoría - ​​​Ejecución de obras correctivas en el sistema de tratamiento de aguas residuales del CECUDI de Los Chiles, Alajuela.​​ 1 mesUNICEF · Unspecified View all UN jobs — Alajuela

Frequently asked

What is the FS-6 salary at the UN in Alajuela?

A Field Service FS-6 in Alajuela, Costa Rica has a net base salary of about USD 71,783 (step 1) to USD 93,534 (top step). With the 33% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 95,471 to USD 124,400 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-6 in Alajuela?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Alajuela it is about 33% of net base salary, added on top — so the same FS-6 net base is worth more or less depending on the station’s cost of living.

What is the cost of living in Alajuela, Costa Rica?

Everyday prices in Costa Rica are roughly 59% 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 Alajuela is 95/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) goes about 5% less far here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Alajuela
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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