UN FS-5 Salary — Washington DC, United States

What an internationally recruited Field Service (FS-5) 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

FS-5 salary — Washington DC, 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 96,277
Net rem · step 1
USD 110,624
Net rem · mid
USD 124,972
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +55% 13 steps Hardship H January 2026 Checked Nov 9, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 55% post adjustment (net base USD 62,275–USD 80,836), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

FS-5 salary scale — by step

Worldwide Field Service net base (UN OneHR), effective January 2026, with the 55% post adjustment for Washington DC. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+55%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 62,275USD 34,002USD 96,277USD 82,694
Step 2USD 63,817USD 34,844USD 98,661USD 84,721
Step 3USD 65,366USD 35,690USD 101,056USD 86,757
Step 4USD 66,909USD 36,532USD 103,441USD 88,786
Step 5USD 68,459USD 37,379USD 105,838USD 90,824
Step 6USD 70,006USD 38,223USD 108,229USD 92,858
Step 7USD 71,555USD 39,069USD 110,624USD 94,894
Step 8USD 73,100USD 39,913USD 113,013USD 96,925
Step 9USD 74,652USD 40,760USD 115,412USD 98,966
Step 10USD 76,195USD 41,602USD 117,797USD 100,994
Step 11USD 77,743USD 42,448USD 120,191USD 103,029
Step 12USD 79,291USD 43,293USD 122,584USD 105,065
Step 13USD 80,836USD 44,136USD 124,972USD 107,095

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 — Washington DC

Allowances an internationally recruited FS-5 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 — Washington DC, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — United States

An estimate for a UN post at Washington DC, United States — 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 — Washington DC

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

FS-1 FS-2 FS-3 FS-4 FS-6 FS-7

UN jobs — Washington DC (96 open)

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Frequently asked

What is the FS-5 salary at the UN in Washington DC?

A Field Service FS-5 in Washington DC, United States has a net base salary of about USD 62,275 (step 1) to USD 80,836 (top step). With the 55% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 96,526 to USD 125,296 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a FS-5 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 FS-5 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. For internationally recruited (P/D) staff, our Real UN Purchasing Power estimate for Washington DC is 88/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) goes about 12% less far here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Washington DC
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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