The UN Pay Scale for entry level ranges from about $44,000 to $60,400, and the highest grade is roughly $195,000.   Not extravagant…  But it doesn’t tell the whole story.

Salaries are adjusted higher depending on what country the employee is assigned.   New York is ranked an uptick of approximately 67%, therefore the base of $44,000 would automatically adjust up $29,480.  If the employee is assigned to Africa, the base is applied.  This uptick is called a ‘Post Adjustment”.   If someone is reassigned to a lower indexed country, the employee can maintain the higher Post Adjustment for six months until the lower rate starts.

They are exempt from taxes.  Anyone who speaks a second language is automatically upgraded by 20 months in the pay scale increments.   Rental subsidies.  If someone is assuming duties above their pay scale and not promoted, they receive a ‘special post allowance’.   If you are married and/or have dependent children, you receive Dependency allowances.  In the US, such allowance is $2929 for the first child and $1025 for secondary child per month.   If you are assigned outside your home country, your children are also subsidized by an ‘education grant’, for the US this amounts to $43,000.  If you choose to send your children to a boarding school the cost is 100% absorbed by the UN up to about $15,000.

All travel expenses are picked up 100%, however, if you are ranking officials in the UN your travel expenses are reimbursed 155%.   If you are assigned to a less friendly country, you are eligible for a ‘hardship allowance’.   There is a ‘non-removal allowance’ which I don’t understand and a ‘mobility allowance’ which is a vacuum of garble.

Home leave is granted every year and is in addition to vacation time, it is typically 12 days.  Annual vacation is 30 days, sick days are allowed variably, maternity is 22 weeks, paternity is 8 weeks, 10 official holidays, and adoption leave is open-ended.

Repatriation allowance is available when the employee is required to leave their assignment.  Termination allowance is available upon …termination.  And a ‘Death Grant’ is payable to the spouse and children should the employee die while employed.

Health insurance is picked up 100% for employee and all dependents.   Pension plans provide 2/3 paid by UN and 1/3 by employee.  Life Insurance is paid by UN, a Special Death Benefit is paid for by UN when the death is a result of employment.

There are roughly 38,000 to 40,000 on the payroll, although the UN isn’t exactly sure how many.

Every Taxpayer in the US is paying for this.  Every Taxpayer in France and the EU is paying for this.

So.  How do you feel about the UN now?