Pay system, contracts & programmes

How pay and appointments work at FAO.

UN common system

Salaries, post adjustment, allowances and benefits are set by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) — broadly consistent across UN agencies, funds and programmes. How UN pay works ›

FAO engages most non-staff through Personal Services Agreements (PSA) — for consultants and “subscribers” — alongside common-system staff posts.

Contract modalities

FTA · Fixed-Term Appointment TA · Temporary Appointment IC · Consultant / Individual Contractor UNV · UN Volunteer Intern · Internship

Entry & talent programmes

JPO · Junior Professional Officer

All contract types

What FAO typically hires at

Based on 1,025 postings in the last 12 months. Net base = annual salary before post adjustment/allowances.

Grade	Share of postings	Est. net base / year
NO-level	1%	Local scale — varies by duty station
Consultant	52%	Daily fee (varies)
Internship	1%	Stipend (varies)
Other/Unspecified	45%	—

Main duty station: Rome. Take-home changes with post adjustment & hardship there.

Estimate take-home

Contract types

The contract mix shapes benefits eligibility — staff posts (P/GS) carry pension, health and allowances that consultancies and volunteer roles usually don’t.

Consultancy · 52% Staff position · 40% Volunteer · 6% Internship · 1% Fellowship · 0% Short-term · 0%

Estimate take-home pay at FAO

A UN salary is not one number. Net base, post adjustment for the duty station and hardship where it applies go on; pension and health insurance come off. The calculator builds that stack layer by layer on the live ICSC scale.

Open the UN take-home calculator

UN salary scale data last synced 1 Oct 2026 · Source: ICSC.

About FAO

Rome, Italy
Founded 1945
United Nations System

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO aims to achieve food security for all…

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Why Join FAO

FAO offers a dynamic and multicultural work environment; staff from over 100 countries specializing in diverse fields provide a truly international workplace.FAO offers staff development opportunities, including group training, workshops and individual training courses. FAO also uses a performance management…

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