UN D-2 Salary in Nairobi, Kenya

What an internationally recruited Director (D-2) earns at the UN in Nairobi — the global net base salary plus this duty station's 41% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category B Post Adjustment 40.9% Cost of living 34 (US=100) HDI Rank #143

D-2 salary in Nairobi — 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 183,842
Net rem · step 1
USD 198,477
Net rem · mid
USD 216,768
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +41% 10 steps Hardship B January 2026 Checked 1 Sep 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 41% 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 41% post adjustment for Nairobi. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+41%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 130,477USD 53,365USD 183,842USD 154,796
Step 2USD 133,072USD 54,426USD 187,498USD 157,854
Step 3USD 135,667USD 55,488USD 191,155USD 160,911
Step 4USD 138,265USD 56,550USD 194,815USD 163,973
Step 5USD 140,864USD 57,613USD 198,477USD 167,036
Step 6USD 143,460USD 58,675USD 202,135USD 170,094
Step 7USD 146,055USD 59,736USD 205,791USD 173,153
Step 8USD 148,654USD 60,799USD 209,453USD 176,215
Step 9USD 151,249USD 61,861USD 213,110USD 179,273
Step 10USD 153,845USD 62,923USD 216,768USD 182,332

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 Nairobi

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

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+41%
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 for Nairobi — plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home in Kenya

An estimate for a UN post at Nairobi, Kenya — for internationally recruited staff (Professional P / D, in US dollars) or locally recruited staff (General Service / National Officer, local scale).

{{ unmatched }} is not a UN salary grade, so the figures below are not for it — the calculator has fallen back to its default. Pick a grade above, or see contract types and what they pay.
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 Nairobi

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 in Nairobi (93 open)

IOM Consultant - Strengthening NEA Distress Reporting Mechanisms BRMM Project (LM0659)IOM · Consultant WHO International Consultant - Support Kenya’s Vaccine Portfolio Optimization and Prioritization and Gavi 6.0 ApplicationWHO · Unspecified OCHA Programme Management OfficerOCHA · P-4 UNEP Platform development and analytics consultantUNEP · CON UNEP Communication InternUNEP · I-1 View all UN jobs in Nairobi

Frequently asked

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

A Director D-2 in Nairobi, Kenya has a net base salary of about USD 130,477 (step 1) to USD 153,845 (top step). With the 41% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 183,973 to USD 216,921 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

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

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Nairobi it is about 41% 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 Nairobi, Kenya?

Everyday prices in Kenya 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 Nairobi is 120/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 20% further here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power for Nairobi
These are UN common-system pay figures. The World Bank, IMF and NGOs and other non-UN employers posting in Nairobi 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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