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 (399) , Consultant (142) , Internship (130) , Administrative Assistant (59) , Project Manager (46) , Research Assistant (30) , Political Affairs Officer (24) , Officer (23) , Political Affairs Intern (19) , Security Officer (18) , Team Assistant (18) , Analyst (16) , Director (16) , Economic Affairs Officer (16) , Finance Assistant (15)

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

"stable happy versatile good benefit" ((in 178 reviews)); "The people are great and passionate about what they do" ((in 164 reviews)); "a good salary and traveling by plane" ((in 142 reviews)); "Great for CV and great colleagues" ((in 133 reviews)); "Good work environment for beginners" ((in 80 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 109 reviews)); "Management is poor" ((in 51 reviews)); "No job security at all" ((in 25 reviews)); "It is hard to have toxic managers held accountable due to the nature of the org" ((in 23 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 22 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.

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United Nations

United Nations reviews

4.0

77% would recommend to a friend

(2,244 total reviews)

António Guterres

75% 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 2,244 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

Aug 23, 2010

Great place to work, if you go with the flow...

Research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The pay, the mission, and mostly the people make it worth it. Being part of a global enterprise. These are all reasons to work for the UN.

Cons

If you are in the need of "hand-holding" in the HR process... don't even bother. Even after 65 years, this is still a "pick-yourself-up-from-the-bootstraps" organization. You need to constantly ask questions and expect to look for things yourself. More often than not you will be pleasantly surprised with what you find. You just have to find it.

4.0

Jun 3, 2009

Programme Assistant

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The UN offers great benefits. Medical/Dental/Vision insurance plus pension (for every $1 contribution, the UN gives $2 matching). 6 weeks vacation per year which can be carried over up to maximum of 60 days; 65 days certified sick leave per year plus 7 uncertified sick leave. Work life balance is supported as well as compensatory time off. Professional staff receives post adjustment allowance in addition to base salary. The UN offers dependency allowance for children; spouses and secondary dependence i.e. parents in form of additional compensation to all staff.

Cons

Though benefits are great and salary is competitive, without MBA, general support staff regardless of years of experience and knowledge of the job, are not given opportunities to compete for professional posts.

2.0

Feb 24, 2024

Frustrating people and place

Software arquitect

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Salary and benefits which are above average. Some good people there who genuinely want to go a good job.

Cons

Everything else. Incompetence all around. Processes above results. Riddled with corruption. Operationally a waste of the member states resources.

Viewing 97 - 99 of 2,244 Reviews

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Jobs at United Nations

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT OFFICER, P3

Wien

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Law Enforcement Expert - Capacity building - Airports/Air Passenger Data

Wien

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Intern, Legal Affairs (Vienna-based)

Wien

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Programme Officer (Temporary), P3

Wien

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