UN FS-2 Salary — Colombo, Sri Lanka

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-2) earns at the UN in Colombo — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 28% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category C Post Adjustment % 28.1 Cost of living 29 (US=100) HDI Rank #89

FS-2 salary — Colombo, 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 55,463
Net rem · step 1
USD 62,824
Net rem · mid
USD 70,286
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +28% 13 steps Hardship C January 2026 Checked Nov 7, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 28% post adjustment (net base USD 43,297–USD 54,868), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-2 salary scale — by step

Worldwide Field Service net base (UN OneHR), effective January 2026, with the 28% post adjustment for Colombo. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+28%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 43,297USD 12,166USD 55,463USD 46,460
Step 2USD 44,263USD 12,438USD 56,701USD 47,486
Step 3USD 45,227USD 12,709USD 57,936USD 48,509
Step 4USD 46,191USD 12,980USD 59,171USD 49,532
Step 5USD 47,159USD 13,252USD 60,411USD 50,560
Step 6USD 48,120USD 13,522USD 61,642USD 51,580
Step 7USD 49,043USD 13,781USD 62,824USD 52,560
Step 8USD 50,050USD 14,064USD 64,114USD 53,629
Step 9USD 51,015USD 14,335USD 65,350USD 54,653
Step 10USD 51,981USD 14,607USD 66,588USD 55,679
Step 11USD 52,944USD 14,877USD 67,821USD 56,701
Step 12USD 53,905USD 15,147USD 69,052USD 57,721
Step 13USD 54,868USD 15,418USD 70,286USD 58,743

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 — Colombo

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

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+28%
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 — Colombo, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Sri Lanka

An estimate for a UN post at Colombo, Sri Lanka — 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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* 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 — Colombo

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

FS-1 FS-3 FS-4 FS-5 FS-6 FS-7

UN jobs — Colombo (6 open)

World Bank E T ConsultantWorld Bank · Unspecified World Bank E T ConsultantWorld Bank · Unspecified UNOPS Project Manager (Infrastructure)UNOPS · LICA 10 UN Women UN Women: Programme Associate, Colombo, Sri Lanka, N-PPSA6, National Partner Personnel Service AgreementUN Women · NPSA-6 UNOPS Civil EngineerUNOPS · LICA 8 View all UN jobs — Colombo

Frequently asked

What is the FS-2 salary at the UN in Colombo?

A Field Service FS-2 in Colombo, Sri Lanka has a net base salary of about USD 43,297 (step 1) to USD 54,868 (top step). With the 28% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 55,420 to USD 70,231 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-2 in Colombo?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Colombo it is about 28% of net base salary, added on top — so the same FS-2 net base is worth more or less depending on the station’s cost of living.

What is the cost of living in Colombo, Sri Lanka?

Everyday prices in Sri Lanka are roughly 29% 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 Colombo is 113/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 13% further here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Colombo
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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