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 been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at United Nations?

78% 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 3.6 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at United Nations?

Intern (400) , 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 165 reviews)); "The people are great and passionate about what they do" ((in 156 reviews)); "Good salary and experience overall" ((in 152 reviews)); "Great for CV and great colleagues" ((in 129 reviews)); "Good work environment for beginners" ((in 87 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 50 reviews)); "These are universally applied across the board and direct managers have no power to override them." ((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 21 reviews)); "Long hours and a lot of paper work" ((in 19 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.

United Nations reviews

4.0

78% would recommend to a friend

(2,244 total reviews)

António Guterres

75% approve of CEO

58% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

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).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

5.0

Nov 29, 2012

excellent

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

better career prospects and decent salary

Cons

I have nothing to state against UN system

3.0

Nov 11, 2012

Too much nepotism and bureaucracy

Consultant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

You get to work for the poor and it is a diplomacy, high-level, work that has an impact on millions of people. You also get to work with some of the greatest experts in the field of development, and can learn a lot. worked in a rare field and was lucky to get some of the very cool consultancies, got published all over the UN and web. This of course felt great. I am thankful for this experience, but would not be thrilled to go back.

Cons

The percent of inefficiency is too high. Too many people working there couldn't care less, and neutralize the work of the very commited, hard working ones. It is very nepotistic and political, and only 10% of people who get it, got via regular hiring channels. Jobs there are rather 'inherited', or political (for the very high level). The quality rarely gets awarded or promoted. If you are over fifty and given up on your ideals, this is a good place to work. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the situations when you'll feel the guilt for getting paid from the development money, and not feeling it really helps.

4.0

Nov 3, 2012

Engineering Intern

Engineering intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It is the most famous NGO, everyone knows it.

Cons

they are kinda laid-back, and the organization is too big.

Viewing 2161 - 2163 of 2,244 Reviews

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United Nations

United Nations reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

excellent

Too much nepotism and bureaucracy

Engineering Intern

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Jobs at United Nations