UN D-1 Salary — Lusaka, Zambia

What an internationally recruited Director (D-1) earns at the UN in Lusaka — the global net base salary plus this duty station’s 43% post adjustment and the hardship, danger and non-family allowances on top.

Hardship Category B Post Adjustment % 43 Cost of living 30 (US=100) HDI Rank #154

D-1 salary — Lusaka, 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 168,673
Net rem · step 1
USD 188,237
Net rem · mid
USD 207,793
Net rem · top step
USD Post adjustment +43% 13 steps Hardship B January 2026 Checked Oct 1, 2026

Net remuneration = net base + 43% post adjustment (net base USD 117,953–USD 145,310), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

D-1 salary scale — by step

Global net base (un_scale), effective January 2026, with the 43% post adjustment for Lusaka. Per year, USD.

StepNet basePost adj (+43%)Net remunerationEst. take-home
Step 1USD 117,953USD 50,720USD 168,673USD 142,452
Step 2USD 120,232USD 51,700USD 171,932USD 145,185
Step 3USD 122,516USD 52,682USD 175,198USD 147,923
Step 4USD 124,798USD 53,663USD 178,461USD 150,659
Step 5USD 127,071USD 54,641USD 181,712USD 153,384
Step 6USD 129,354USD 55,622USD 184,976USD 156,121
Step 7USD 131,634USD 56,603USD 188,237USD 158,854
Step 8USD 133,911USD 57,582USD 191,493USD 161,584
Step 9USD 136,194USD 58,563USD 194,757USD 164,321
Step 10USD 138,472USD 59,543USD 198,015USD 167,052
Step 11USD 140,752USD 60,523USD 201,275USD 169,786
Step 12USD 143,028USD 61,502USD 204,530USD 172,514
Step 13USD 145,310USD 62,483USD 207,793USD 175,250

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 — Lusaka

Allowances an internationally recruited D-1 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+43%
Hardship allowanceICSC category BUSD 8,560
Mobility incentiveFrom the 2nd assignment onwardUSD 10,350 +
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 — Lusaka, plus cost of living & relocation
Your Take-Home Pay — Zambia

An estimate for a UN post at Lusaka, Zambia — 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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* 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 — Lusaka

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

P-1 P-2 P-3 P-4 P-5 D-2

UN jobs — Lusaka (2 open)

WFP Consultant- Village Savings and Loan Associations - SSA L10WFP · Consultant FAO GCF Concept Note DeveloperFAO · NPP (National Project Personnel) View all UN jobs — Lusaka

Frequently asked

What is the D-1 salary at the UN in Lusaka?

A Director D-1 in Lusaka, Zambia has a net base salary of about USD 117,953 (step 1) to USD 145,310 (top step). With the 43% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 168,673 to USD 207,793 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a D-1 in Lusaka?

Post adjustment equalises purchasing power across duty stations. In Lusaka it is about 43% of net base salary, added on top — so the same D-1 net base is worth more or less depending on the station’s cost of living.

What is the cost of living in Lusaka, Zambia?

Everyday prices in Zambia are roughly 30% 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 Lusaka is 125/100 (New York = 100) — net pay (base + post adjustment) stretches about 25% further here than in New York.

See the Real UN Purchasing Power — Lusaka
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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