UN D-2 Salary in Washington DC, United States

What an internationally recruited Director (D-2) earns at the UN in Washington DC — the global net base salary plus this duty station's 55% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category H Post Adjustment 54.6% Cost of living 100 (US=100) HDI Rank #17
Jobs 106 Salary & Benefits Living & Relocation

D-2 salary in Washington DC — 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 201,717
Net rem · step 1
USD 217,776
Net rem · mid
USD 237,844
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +55% 10 steps Hardship H January 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 55% 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 55% post adjustment for Washington DC. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+55%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 130,477USD 71,240USD 201,717USD 172,224
Step 2USD 133,072USD 72,657USD 205,729USD 175,629
Step 3USD 135,667USD 74,074USD 209,741USD 179,033
Step 4USD 138,265USD 75,493USD 213,758USD 182,442
Step 5USD 140,864USD 76,912USD 217,776USD 185,851
Step 6USD 143,460USD 78,329USD 221,789USD 189,257
Step 7USD 146,055USD 79,746USD 225,801USD 192,662
Step 8USD 148,654USD 81,165USD 229,819USD 196,072
Step 9USD 151,249USD 82,582USD 233,831USD 199,476
Step 10USD 153,845USD 83,999USD 237,844USD 202,882

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 in Washington DC

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

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+55%
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 for Washington DC — plus cost of living & relocation
Estimate Your Take-Home in United States Beta

A simplified estimate for a UN post at Washington DC, United States, on live ICSC figures — 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 USD, 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.

Other Professional grades in Washington DC

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 in Washington DC (106 open)

World Bank WBG Pioneer - Blue Economy Analyst InternWorld Bank · Intern World Bank WBG Pioneer - Digital Learning and Multimedia Design InternWorld Bank · Intern World Bank WBG Pioneer - Facilities Capital Management InternWorld Bank · Intern World Bank WBG Pioneers - Knowledge Management and Learning InternWorld Bank · Intern World Bank WBG Pioneer - Construction and Project Management InternWorld Bank · Intern View all UN jobs in Washington DC

Frequently asked

What is the D-2 salary at the UN in Washington DC?

A Director D-2 in Washington DC, United States has a net base salary of about USD 130,477 (step 1) to USD 153,845 (top step). With the 55% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 202,239 to USD 238,460 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

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

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Washington DC it is about 55% 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 Washington DC, United States?

Everyday prices in United States are roughly 100% of United States levels (World Bank price level index, US = 100). Post adjustment is designed to offset this.

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

Salary & Benefits Tools

Take-home pay calculator UN salary scales by grade Post adjustment explained UN contracts & grade levels
Advertisement
UNjobnet Logo
Connect with us
Categories | Salaries & Benefits | Career Resources | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | About Us | For Employers | Share Feedback