UN FS-3 Salary — Pretoria, South Africa

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-3) earns at the UN in Pretoria — 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 A Post Adjustment % 28.5 Cost of living 42 (US=100) HDI Rank #106

FS-3 salary — Pretoria, 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 62,618
Net rem · step 1
USD 71,041
Net rem · mid
USD 79,459
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +29% 13 steps Hardship A January 2026 Checked Nov 9, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 29% 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 29% post adjustment for Pretoria. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+29%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 48,730USD 13,888USD 62,618USD 52,417
Step 2USD 49,829USD 14,201USD 64,030USD 53,588
Step 3USD 50,918USD 14,512USD 65,430USD 54,749
Step 4USD 52,007USD 14,822USD 66,829USD 55,909
Step 5USD 53,097USD 15,133USD 68,230USD 57,070
Step 6USD 54,194USD 15,445USD 69,639USD 58,239
Step 7USD 55,285USD 15,756USD 71,041USD 59,401
Step 8USD 56,376USD 16,067USD 72,443USD 60,564
Step 9USD 57,471USD 16,379USD 73,850USD 61,730
Step 10USD 58,555USD 16,688USD 75,243USD 62,885
Step 11USD 59,646USD 16,999USD 76,645USD 64,048
Step 12USD 60,743USD 17,312USD 78,055USD 65,216
Step 13USD 61,836USD 17,623USD 79,459USD 66,379

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 — Pretoria

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

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+29%
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 — Pretoria, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — South Africa

An estimate for a UN post at Pretoria, South Africa — 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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* 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 — Pretoria

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 — Pretoria (10 open)

WHO Manager, Information Technology ManagementWHO · P5 UNOPS Climate Change Senior Analyst, Carbon Markets (Home based Retainer) - Pretoria, South AfricaUNOPS · LICA 9 FAO FAO RepresentativeFAO · Senior-level UNICEF Consultant for the Policy Review: Harmful Social and Gender Norms transformation, Pretoria, South Africa (Remote), 7.6 months, National Candidates Only, #596762UNICEF · Consultant UNICEF Technical Consultant (National - only): Development of South Africa's Global Fund Grant Cycle 8 (GC8) Request for Funding Monitoring and Evaluation Expert, Pretoria, South Africa (remote), 12 months #596706UNICEF · Consultant View all UN jobs — Pretoria

Frequently asked

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

A Field Service FS-3 in Pretoria, South Africa has a net base salary of about USD 48,730 (step 1) to USD 61,836 (top step). With the 29% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 62,862 to USD 79,768 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

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

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Pretoria it is about 29% 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 Pretoria, South Africa?

Everyday prices in South Africa are roughly 42% 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 Pretoria is 103/100 (New York = 100) — net pay buys about the same here as in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Pretoria
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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