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?

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 3.6 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 177 reviews)); "The people are great and passionate about what they do" ((in 162 reviews)); "a good salary and traveling by plane" ((in 146 reviews)); "Great for CV and great colleagues" ((in 129 reviews)); "Good work environment for beginners" ((in 81 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 111 reviews)); "Management is poor" ((in 50 reviews)); "bad managers" ((in 26 reviews)); "No job security at all" ((in 22 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

4.3

Diversity & inclusion

4.0

Culture & values

3.9

Work/Life balance

3.9

Compensation and benefits

3.6

Senior management

3.6

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

Nov 23, 2010

Good place to get a big name on resume if looking for non-profit jobs

Intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good flexibility and benefits. Can work with people from different countries and the UN visa is very good. Could have chance to work abroad if on a mission. And usually get promoted once back from the mission.

Cons

Slow work process and slightly changed work environment. People from their original countries tend to form small groups and not easy to get involved with other goups from other countries.

5.0

Oct 11, 2010

United Nations

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good vacation time - 6 wks a year Good benefits - health, sick leave, etc. Management is very understanding regarding "family issues" I like the work - nothing is perfect but it is a very special place

Cons

Promotions can be made on a political basis, less on the basis of good performance. It is extremely difficult to go from the General Service to the Professional service, but pay in both is fair.

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.

Viewing 2227 - 2229 of 2,244 Reviews

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Jobs at United Nations

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT OFFICER, P3

Wien

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Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Intern

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Secretary of the Board and Chief, D1

Wien

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Intern - Programme Management

Wien

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HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICER, P4

Wien

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