UN FS-1 Salary — Nairobi, Kenya

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-1) 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

FS-1 salary — Nairobi, 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 54,308
Net rem · step 1
USD 61,480
Net rem · mid
USD 68,638
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +41% 13 steps Hardship B January 2026 Checked Nov 7, 2026

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

StepNet basePost adj (+41%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 38,544USD 15,764USD 54,308USD 46,226
Step 2USD 39,393USD 16,112USD 55,505USD 47,233
Step 3USD 40,238USD 16,457USD 56,695USD 48,235
Step 4USD 41,085USD 16,804USD 57,889USD 49,240
Step 5USD 41,932USD 17,150USD 59,082USD 50,245
Step 6USD 42,787USD 17,500USD 60,287USD 51,259
Step 7USD 43,634USD 17,846USD 61,480USD 52,264
Step 8USD 44,477USD 18,191USD 62,668USD 53,264
Step 9USD 45,329USD 18,540USD 63,869USD 54,274
Step 10USD 46,176USD 18,886USD 65,062USD 55,279
Step 11USD 47,021USD 19,232USD 66,253USD 56,282
Step 12USD 47,866USD 19,577USD 67,443USD 57,284
Step 13USD 48,714USD 19,924USD 68,638USD 58,290

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 — Nairobi

Allowances an internationally recruited FS-1 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+41%
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 — Nairobi, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — 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).

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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).
Net salary (local scale)
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On the local GS/NO scale, in KES, for {{ gDisp(gsGradeLabel) }}, {{ stepLabel(gsStep) }} (locally recruited staff). No post adjustment. Dependency & language allowances are <b>additional</b>.

* 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 — Nairobi

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 — Nairobi (128 open)

UNICEF National and International Consultant -Consultant – development of Kenya Gavi 6.0 & Ebola Countr, Health Section Nairobi-Office based with possible travels, 6 months 596867UNICEF · Consultant UNICEF National Consultancy to Develop Children and Disability Budget Tagging Manuals and Taxonomy,Social Policy section, 7 month, Nairobi-Office based at National Treasury Budget Department 596863UNICEF · Unspecified BMGF Senior Program Assistant (LTE)BMGF · Unspecified ICRC COMMUNITY CONTACT CENTRE OPERATORICRC · Unspecified ILRI Finance and Grants ManagerILRI · Unspecified View all UN jobs — Nairobi

Frequently asked

What is the FS-1 salary at the UN in Nairobi?

A Field Service FS-1 in Nairobi, Kenya has a net base salary of about USD 38,544 (step 1) to USD 48,714 (top step). With the 41% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 54,347 to USD 68,687 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-1 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 FS-1 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 — Nairobi
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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