UN FS-3 Salary — Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-3) earns at the UN in Riyadh — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 50% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category A Post Adjustment % 49.5 Cost of living 47 (US=100) HDI Rank #37

FS-3 salary — Riyadh, 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 72,851
Net rem · step 1
USD 82,651
Net rem · mid
USD 92,445
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +50% 13 steps Hardship A January 2026 Checked Nov 9, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 50% post adjustment (net base USD 48,730–USD 61,836), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-3 salary scale — by step

Worldwide Field Service net base (UN OneHR), effective January 2026, with the 50% post adjustment for Riyadh. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+50%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 48,730USD 24,121USD 72,851USD 62,395
Step 2USD 49,829USD 24,665USD 74,494USD 63,791
Step 3USD 50,918USD 25,204USD 76,122USD 65,174
Step 4USD 52,007USD 25,743USD 77,750USD 66,557
Step 5USD 53,097USD 26,283USD 79,380USD 67,942
Step 6USD 54,194USD 26,826USD 81,020USD 69,335
Step 7USD 55,285USD 27,366USD 82,651USD 70,721
Step 8USD 56,376USD 27,906USD 84,282USD 72,107
Step 9USD 57,471USD 28,448USD 85,919USD 73,498
Step 10USD 58,555USD 28,985USD 87,540USD 74,874
Step 11USD 59,646USD 29,525USD 89,171USD 76,260
Step 12USD 60,743USD 30,068USD 90,811USD 77,654
Step 13USD 61,836USD 30,609USD 92,445USD 79,040

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 — Riyadh

Allowances an internationally recruited FS-3 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+50%
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 — Riyadh, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Saudi Arabia

An estimate for a UN post at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — 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).
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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 — Riyadh

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

FS-1 FS-2 FS-4 FS-5 FS-6 FS-7

UN jobs — Riyadh (3 open)

UN Country Results Report LeadUN · CON World Bank MNA FellowWorld Bank · Unspecified UN ASSOCIATE DATA SPECIALISTUN · NO-B View all UN jobs — Riyadh

Frequently asked

What is the FS-3 salary at the UN in Riyadh?

A Field Service FS-3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has a net base salary of about USD 48,730 (step 1) to USD 61,836 (top step). With the 50% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 73,095 to USD 92,754 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-3 in Riyadh?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Riyadh it is about 50% of net base salary, added on top — so the same FS-3 net base is worth more or less depending on the station’s cost of living.

What is the cost of living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia?

Everyday prices in Saudi Arabia are roughly 47% 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 Riyadh is 116/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 16% further here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Riyadh
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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