UN FS-1 Salary — San Jose, Costa Rica

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-1) earns at the UN in San Jose — 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 A Post Adjustment % 33.2 Cost of living 59 (US=100) HDI Rank #62

FS-1 salary — San Jose, 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 51,341
Net rem · step 1
USD 58,120
Net rem · mid
USD 64,887
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 38,544–USD 48,714), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-1 salary scale — by step

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

StepNet basePost adj (+33%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 38,544USD 12,797USD 51,341USD 43,332
Step 2USD 39,393USD 13,078USD 52,471USD 44,275
Step 3USD 40,238USD 13,359USD 53,597USD 45,214
Step 4USD 41,085USD 13,640USD 54,725USD 46,155
Step 5USD 41,932USD 13,921USD 55,853USD 47,097
Step 6USD 42,787USD 14,205USD 56,992USD 48,047
Step 7USD 43,634USD 14,486USD 58,120USD 48,988
Step 8USD 44,477USD 14,766USD 59,243USD 49,924
Step 9USD 45,329USD 15,049USD 60,378USD 50,871
Step 10USD 46,176USD 15,330USD 61,506USD 51,813
Step 11USD 47,021USD 15,611USD 62,632USD 52,752
Step 12USD 47,866USD 15,892USD 63,758USD 53,690
Step 13USD 48,714USD 16,173USD 64,887USD 54,633

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 — San Jose

Allowances an internationally recruited FS-1 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 — San Jose, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Costa Rica

An estimate for a UN post at San Jose, 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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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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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 — San Jose

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

FS-2 FS-3 FS-4 FS-5 FS-6 FS-7

UN jobs — San Jose (3 open)

IOM Consultoría A: Gestor de casos de identidad legal y normalización migratoriaIOM · UG IOM SVN 2026-036 Logistics & Administrative Project Assistant|UGIOM · UG UNOPS Lead ArchitectUNOPS · LICA 10 View all UN jobs — San Jose

Frequently asked

What is the FS-1 salary at the UN in San Jose?

A Field Service FS-1 in San Jose, Costa Rica has a net base salary of about USD 38,544 (step 1) to USD 48,714 (top step). With the 33% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 51,264 to USD 64,790 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-1 in San Jose?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In San Jose it is about 33% of net base salary, added on top — so the same FS-1 net base is worth more or less depending on the station’s cost of living.

What is the cost of living in San Jose, 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 San Jose 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 — San Jose
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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