UN NO-D Salary in Colombo, Sri Lanka

What a locally recruited National Officer (NO-D) earns at the UN in Colombo — the published local salary scale in LKR, with pension and estimated take-home.

NO-D salary in Colombo — at a glance

Locally recruited National Officer (NO), paid on the local scale in LKR — no post adjustment or hardship allowance. Internationally recruited? See the P/D estimate.

LKR 10,823,192
Net · step 1
LKR 14,130,277
Net · mid-step
LKR 17,437,362
Net · top step
LKR 11 steps Hardship C 1 Dec 2022

Net base salary range, before pension and insurance deductions.

NO-D salary scale — by step

Published National Officer scale for Colombo (effective 1 Dec 2022). Per year, in LKR.

StepGrossNetStaff assessmentEst. take-home
Step 1LKR 13,993,503LKR 10,823,192LKR 3,170,311LKR 9,540,018
Step 2LKR 14,910,846LKR 11,484,609LKR 3,426,237LKR 10,121,247
Step 3LKR 15,829,481LKR 12,146,026LKR 3,683,455LKR 10,701,513
Step 4LKR 16,748,115LKR 12,807,443LKR 3,940,672LKR 11,280,162
Step 5LKR 17,666,750LKR 13,468,860LKR 4,197,890LKR 11,858,811
Step 6LKR 18,585,385LKR 14,130,277LKR 4,455,108LKR 12,437,459
Step 7LKR 19,515,062LKR 14,791,694LKR 4,723,368LKR 13,016,108
Step 8LKR 20,446,635LKR 15,453,111LKR 4,993,524LKR 13,594,757
Step 9LKR 21,378,208LKR 16,114,528LKR 5,263,680LKR 14,173,405
Step 10LKR 22,309,782LKR 16,775,945LKR 5,533,837LKR 14,752,054
Step 11LKR 23,241,355LKR 17,437,362LKR 5,803,993LKR 15,330,703

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.

Your Take-Home in 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).

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.
Net remuneration (base + post adj.)
{{ money((netBase + postAdj) / divisor) }} / {{ period=='month' ? 'mo' : 'yr' }}
Gross base salary{{ money(grossBase / divisor) }}
Staff assessment (internal tax)− {{ money(staffAssessment / divisor) }}
Net base salary{{ money(netBase / divisor) }}
Post adjustment ({{ station.multiplier }}%)+ {{ money(postAdj / divisor) }}
Net remuneration{{ money((netBase + postAdj) / divisor) }}
Spouse allowance (6%)+ {{ money(spouseAllow / divisor) }}
Single-parent allowance (6%)+ {{ money(singleParentAllow / divisor) }}
Hardship allowance (cat {{ station.hardship }})+ {{ money(hardshipAllow / divisor) }}
Danger pay+ {{ money(dangerAllow / divisor) }}
Non-family allowance+ {{ money(nonFamilyAllow / divisor) }}
Mobility allowance ({{ assignments }} assignments)+ {{ money(mobilityAllow / divisor) }}
Child allowance ({{ children }})+ {{ money(childAllow / divisor) }}
Secondary dependant+ {{ money(secondaryAllow / divisor) }}
Pension contribution (7.9%)− {{ money(pension / divisor) }}
Health insurance *− {{ money(medical / divisor) }}
Estimated take-home{{ money(takeHome / divisor) }}
Net salary (local scale)
{{ localMoney(gsNet / divisor) }} / {{ period=='month' ? 'mo' : 'yr' }}
{{ gsLoading ? 'Loading take-home breakdown…' : '' }}
On the local GS/NO scale, in LKR, for {{ gDisp(gsGradeLabel) }}, step {{ gsStep }} (locally recruited staff). No post adjustment. Dependency & language allowances are additional.

* 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.

See all allowances & benefits for Colombo — cost of living, dependency & language allowances & more

Other local (GS/NO) grades in Colombo

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

Frequently asked

What is the NO-D salary at the UN in Colombo?

A National Officer NO-D at the UN in Colombo, Sri Lanka earns a net base salary from about LKR 10,823,192 (step 1) to LKR 17,437,362 (top step) per year, per the local salary scale effective 1 Dec 2022. Gross salary is higher; staff assessment and pension are deducted.

How is take-home pay calculated for a NO-D in Colombo?

Take-home starts from the NO-D net salary, minus a 7.9% UNJSPF pension contribution and staff medical insurance, plus danger pay where the duty station is designated. Post adjustment and hardship allowances do not apply to locally recruited GS/NO staff.

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). 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 for Colombo
These are UN common-system pay figures. The World Bank, IMF and NGOs and other non-UN employers posting in Colombo set their own pay — a role here does not guarantee these figures.