UN D-1 Salary — Maseru, Lesotho

What an internationally recruited Director (D-1) earns at the UN in Maseru — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 29% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category C Post Adjustment % 29.3 Cost of living 34 (US=100) HDI Rank #167

D-1 salary — Maseru, 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 152,513
Net rem · step 1
USD 170,203
Net rem · mid
USD 187,886
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +29% 13 steps Hardship C January 2026 Checked Oct 1, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 29% post adjustment (net base USD 117,953–USD 145,310), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

D-1 salary scale — by step

Global net base (un_scale), effective January 2026, with the 29% post adjustment for Maseru. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+29%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 117,953USD 34,560USD 152,513USD 126,697
Step 2USD 120,232USD 35,228USD 155,460USD 129,125
Step 3USD 122,516USD 35,897USD 158,413USD 131,558
Step 4USD 124,798USD 36,566USD 161,364USD 133,989
Step 5USD 127,071USD 37,232USD 164,303USD 136,410
Step 6USD 129,354USD 37,901USD 167,255USD 138,842
Step 7USD 131,634USD 38,569USD 170,203USD 141,271
Step 8USD 133,911USD 39,236USD 173,147USD 143,697
Step 9USD 136,194USD 39,905USD 176,099USD 146,129
Step 10USD 138,472USD 40,572USD 179,044USD 148,556
Step 11USD 140,752USD 41,240USD 181,992USD 150,985
Step 12USD 143,028USD 41,907USD 184,935USD 153,409
Step 13USD 145,310USD 42,576USD 187,886USD 155,840

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 — Maseru

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

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+29%
Hardship allowanceICSC category CUSD 15,890
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 — Maseru, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Lesotho

An estimate for a UN post at Maseru, Lesotho — 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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* 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 — Maseru

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

P-1 P-2 P-3 P-4 P-5 D-2

UN jobs — Maseru (3 open)

UNDP Project Manager - Elections [Open to internal and external applicants]UNDP · NPSA-10 ITC National Project Coordinator, Ethical Fashion Initiative (LICA 10)ITC · CON WHO NPO (Health System Strengthening)WHO · NO-C View all UN jobs — Maseru

Frequently asked

What is the D-1 salary at the UN in Maseru?

A Director D-1 in Maseru, Lesotho has a net base salary of about USD 117,953 (step 1) to USD 145,310 (top step). With the 29% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 152,159 to USD 187,450 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a D-1 in Maseru?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Maseru it is about 29% of net base salary, added on top — so the same D-1 net base is worth more or less depending on the station’s cost of living.

What is the cost of living in Maseru, Lesotho?

Everyday prices in Lesotho 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 Maseru is 110/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 10% further here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Maseru
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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