UN FS-5 Salary — Karachi, Pakistan

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-5) earns at the UN in Karachi — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 35% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

The UN sets one post adjustment for Pakistan rather than for each duty station, so this 35% multiplier — and the salary below — applies to Karachi exactly as it does to Islamabad.

Hardship Category C Post Adjustment % 34.7 Cost of living 24 (US=100) HDI Rank #168

FS-5 salary — Karachi, 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 83,884
Net rem · step 1
USD 96,385
Net rem · mid
USD 108,886
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +35% 13 steps Hardship C January 2026 Checked Nov 7, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 35% post adjustment (net base USD 62,275–USD 80,836), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-5 salary scale — by step

Worldwide Field Service net base (UN OneHR), effective January 2026, with the 35% post adjustment for Karachi. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+35%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 62,275USD 21,609USD 83,884USD 70,611
Step 2USD 63,817USD 22,144USD 85,961USD 72,339
Step 3USD 65,366USD 22,682USD 88,048USD 74,075
Step 4USD 66,909USD 23,217USD 90,126USD 75,804
Step 5USD 68,459USD 23,755USD 92,214USD 77,541
Step 6USD 70,006USD 24,292USD 94,298USD 79,275
Step 7USD 71,555USD 24,830USD 96,385USD 81,011
Step 8USD 73,100USD 25,366USD 98,466USD 82,742
Step 9USD 74,652USD 25,904USD 100,556USD 84,481
Step 10USD 76,195USD 26,440USD 102,635USD 86,210
Step 11USD 77,743USD 26,977USD 104,720USD 87,945
Step 12USD 79,291USD 27,514USD 106,805USD 89,680
Step 13USD 80,836USD 28,050USD 108,886USD 91,411

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 — Karachi

Allowances an internationally recruited FS-5 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+35%
Hardship allowanceICSC category CUSD 11,010
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 — Karachi, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Pakistan

An estimate for a UN post at Karachi, Pakistan — 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).
Net salary (local scale)
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On the local GS/NO scale, in PKR, 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 — Karachi

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

FS-1 FS-2 FS-3 FS-4 FS-6 FS-7

UN jobs — Karachi (1 open)

UN Women Readvertisement - UN Women Programme Support Intern, Karachi, Pakistan, NationalUN Women · Intern View all UN jobs — Karachi

Frequently asked

What is the FS-5 salary at the UN in Karachi?

A Field Service FS-5 in Karachi, Pakistan has a net base salary of about USD 62,275 (step 1) to USD 80,836 (top step). With the 35% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 84,071 to USD 109,129 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-5 in Karachi?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Karachi it is about 35% of net base salary, added on top — so the same FS-5 net base is worth more or less depending on the station’s cost of living.

What is the cost of living in Karachi, Pakistan?

Everyday prices in Pakistan are roughly 24% 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 Karachi is 123/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 23% further here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Karachi
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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