Does United Nations pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, United Nations employees rate their compensation and benefits as 3.9 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at United Nations. This rating has decreased by 2% over the last 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at United Nations?

77% of United Nations employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated United Nations 3.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.0 for culture and values and 3.5 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at United Nations?

Intern (398) , Consultant (142) , Internship (130) , Administrative Assistant (59) , Project Manager (46) , Research Assistant (30) , Officer (23) , Political Affairs Officer (23) , Political Affairs Intern (19) , Security Officer (18) , Team Assistant (18) , Director (16) , Economic Affairs Officer (16) , Analyst (15) , Finance Assistant (15)

What are the pros of working at United Nations according to real employee reviews?

"stable happy versatile good benefit" ((in 175 reviews)); "Good salary and experience overall" ((in 158 reviews)); "The people are great and passionate about what they do" ((in 158 reviews)); "Great for CV and great colleagues" ((in 135 reviews)); "Good work environment for beginners" ((in 82 reviews))

What are the cons of working at United Nations according to real employee reviews?

"The internship is unpaid and probably with rooms of improvement regarding the plan for career guidance" ((in 108 reviews)); "Management is poor" ((in 50 reviews)); "No job security at all" ((in 27 reviews)); "bad managers" ((in 25 reviews)); "Too much bureaucracy and almost impossible to get promoted.It is hard to do things differently due to the bureaucratic nature of the organization." ((in 23 reviews))

What are employees saying about United Nations layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about United Nations layoffs and their outlook for job security at United Nations in 2026.

Skip to content Skip to footer

Notifications

United Nations

United Nations reviews

Compare reviews

4.0

77% would recommend to a friend

(2,241 total reviews)

António Guterres

74% approve of CEO

57% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.2

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Culture & values

3.9

Work/Life balance

3.9

Compensation and benefits

3.6

Senior management

3.5

Career opportunities

United Nations has an employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on 2,241 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have a good working experience there. The United Nations employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Regierung & öffentliche Verwaltung industry (3.6 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

4.0

Jan 20, 2024

Decent pay and benefits yet lack of equal opportunities

Associate officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Decent pay and generous allowances/subsidies, private medical insurance, paid leaves, flexible mode of work

Cons

Selection process often lack competitiveness. Skills only are not enough to get a position. Selection process often needs more transparency with vacancies being advertised in a pro-forma manner (when a candidate is predetermined).

4.0

Jun 11, 2015

I did a 6-month internship at the United Nations Information Service in Vienna and I loved it.

Intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Unique atmosphere, great people, a demanding and challenging work environment People from diverse cultural backgrounds who speak all kinds of languages coming together in one place is simply unique. Everyone was most respectful and made us interns feel that we are important members of the team. I learned so much and I would recommend doing a UN-internship wholeheartedly.

Cons

Unfortunately, I was not paid. 6 months of full time work without earning a single penny is really tough. Many are not able to do an internship simply because they can't afford it, which is a shame.

5.0

Nov 21, 2024

Extremely positive experience with the opportunity to make a difference

Internship

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

A lot of space for growth and development International working culture Opportunity to have a positive impact

Cons

Unpaid internships limit opportunities Insufficient funding for projects and future career prospects

Viewing 4 - 6 of 2,241 Reviews

Top companies for "Compensation and Benefits" near you

UNDP

3.7★Compensation & Benefits

U.S. Department of State

3.8★Compensation & Benefits

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit

3.8★Compensation & Benefits

US Agency for International Development

4.2★Compensation & Benefits

Jobs at United Nations

Human Resources Assistant (temporary), G6

Wien

View job

Consultant on Gender and Anti-Corruption Investigations

Wien

View job

Individual Contractors (2 positions) - Development of a computer system for automation of detection and visualization of networks in operational analysis through internal databases.

Wien

View job

International Anticorruption Consultant

Wien

View job

International Consultant (Support the assessment of Transnational Organized Crime and the Nexus with Counter-Proliferation Financing in Southeast Asia)

Wien

View job