UN P-5 Salary — Lusaka, Zambia

What an internationally recruited Professional (P-5) 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

P-5 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 147,526
Net rem · step 1
USD 164,170
Net rem · mid
USD 180,811
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 103,165–USD 126,441), before hardship/danger allowances and pension.

P-5 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 103,165USD 44,361USD 147,526USD 124,723
Step 2USD 105,105USD 45,195USD 150,300USD 127,049
Step 3USD 107,047USD 46,030USD 153,077USD 129,378
Step 4USD 108,983USD 46,863USD 155,846USD 131,698
Step 5USD 110,925USD 47,698USD 158,623USD 134,027
Step 6USD 112,861USD 48,530USD 161,391USD 136,348
Step 7USD 114,804USD 49,366USD 164,170USD 138,677
Step 8USD 116,742USD 50,199USD 166,941USD 141,000
Step 9USD 118,683USD 51,034USD 169,717USD 143,328
Step 10USD 120,621USD 51,867USD 172,488USD 145,651
Step 11USD 122,562USD 52,702USD 175,264USD 147,978
Step 12USD 124,498USD 53,534USD 178,032USD 150,299
Step 13USD 126,441USD 54,370USD 180,811USD 152,628

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 P-5 may receive at this duty station. Annual USD unless noted.

Post adjustmentCost-of-living multiplier on net base+43%
Hardship allowanceICSC category BUSD 7,330
Mobility incentiveFrom the 2nd assignment onwardUSD 8,625 +
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 D-1 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 P-5 salary at the UN in Lusaka?

A Professional P-5 in Lusaka, Zambia has a net base salary of about USD 103,165 (step 1) to USD 126,441 (top step). With the 43% post adjustment for this duty station, net remuneration is roughly USD 147,526 to USD 180,811 per year, before hardship, danger and other allowances.

How does post adjustment work for a P-5 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 P-5 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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