UN D-2 Salary — Madrid, Spain

What an internationally recruited Director (D-2) earns at the UN in Madrid — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 31% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category H Post Adjustment % 31.2 Cost of living 65 (US=100) HDI Rank #28

D-2 salary — Madrid, 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 171,186
Net rem · step 1
USD 184,814
Net rem · mid
USD 201,845
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +31% 10 steps Hardship H January 2026 Checked Oct 1, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 31% post adjustment (net base USD 130,477–USD 153,845), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

D-2 salary scale — by step

Global net base (un_scale), effective January 2026, with the 31% post adjustment for Madrid. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+31%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 130,477USD 40,709USD 171,186USD 142,456
Step 2USD 133,072USD 41,518USD 174,590USD 145,268
Step 3USD 135,667USD 42,328USD 177,995USD 148,081
Step 4USD 138,265USD 43,139USD 181,404USD 150,896
Step 5USD 140,864USD 43,950USD 184,814USD 153,713
Step 6USD 143,460USD 44,760USD 188,220USD 156,527
Step 7USD 146,055USD 45,569USD 191,624USD 159,339
Step 8USD 148,654USD 46,380USD 195,034USD 162,156
Step 9USD 151,249USD 47,190USD 198,439USD 164,969
Step 10USD 153,845USD 48,000USD 201,845USD 167,782

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 — Madrid

Allowances an internationally recruited D-2 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+31%
Hardship allowanceICSC category H — no hardship elementNot applicable
Mobility incentiveFrom the 2nd assignment onwardNot at H (HQ) stations
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 — Madrid, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Spain

An estimate for a UN post at Madrid, Spain — 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 — Madrid

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

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

UN jobs — Madrid (13 open)

UNDP Executive Associate- [Open to all applicants]UNDP · G7 Action contre la Faim Técnico/a de Campañas y EventosAction contre la Faim · Unspecified Action contre la Faim Técnico/a de AlianzasAction contre la Faim · Unspecified UNDP Local Finance Specialist [Open to all applicants]UNDP · P4 Action contre la Faim Desarrollador/a juniorAction contre la Faim · Unspecified View all UN jobs — Madrid

Frequently asked

What is the D-2 salary at the UN in Madrid?

A Director D-2 in Madrid, Spain has a net base salary of about USD 130,477 (step 1) to USD 153,845 (top step). With the 31% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 170,925 to USD 201,537 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a D-2 in Madrid?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Madrid it is about 31% of net base salary, added on top — so the same D-2 net base is worth more or less depending on the station’s cost of living.

What is the cost of living in Madrid, Spain?

Everyday prices in Spain are roughly 65% 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 Madrid is 91/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) goes about 9% less far here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Madrid
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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