UN FS-3 Salary — Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-3) earns at the UN in Abu Dhabi — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 56% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category A Post Adjustment % 55.9 Cost of living 63 (US=100) HDI Rank #15

FS-3 salary — Abu Dhabi, 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 75,970
Net rem · step 1
USD 86,189
Net rem · mid
USD 96,402
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +56% 13 steps Hardship A January 2026 Checked Nov 9, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 56% 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 56% post adjustment for Abu Dhabi. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+56%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 48,730USD 27,240USD 75,970USD 65,436
Step 2USD 49,829USD 27,854USD 77,683USD 66,900
Step 3USD 50,918USD 28,463USD 79,381USD 68,352
Step 4USD 52,007USD 29,072USD 81,079USD 69,803
Step 5USD 53,097USD 29,681USD 82,778USD 71,255
Step 6USD 54,194USD 30,294USD 84,488USD 72,717
Step 7USD 55,285USD 30,904USD 86,189USD 74,171
Step 8USD 56,376USD 31,514USD 87,890USD 75,625
Step 9USD 57,471USD 32,126USD 89,597USD 77,084
Step 10USD 58,555USD 32,732USD 91,287USD 78,528
Step 11USD 59,646USD 33,342USD 92,988USD 79,982
Step 12USD 60,743USD 33,955USD 94,698USD 81,444
Step 13USD 61,836USD 34,566USD 96,402USD 82,899

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 — Abu Dhabi

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

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+56%
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 — Abu Dhabi, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — United Arab Emirates

An estimate for a UN post at Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — 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 — Abu Dhabi

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 — Abu Dhabi (5 open)

IRENA Director - Administration and Management Services, D1IRENA · D1 IRENA Interim Director - Administration and Management Services, D1IRENA · D1 World Bank E T Consultant - Senior Financial SpecialistWorld Bank · Unspecified IRENA Intern - Renewable Potential AssessmentIRENA · Intern IRENA Associate Professional – Energy Transition Finance and PolicyIRENA · Unspecified View all UN jobs — Abu Dhabi

Frequently asked

What is the FS-3 salary at the UN in Abu Dhabi?

A Field Service FS-3 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates has a net base salary of about USD 48,730 (step 1) to USD 61,836 (top step). With the 56% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 76,019 to USD 96,464 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

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

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Abu Dhabi it is about 56% 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 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates?

Everyday prices in United Arab Emirates are roughly 63% 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 Abu Dhabi is 109/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 9% further here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Abu Dhabi
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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