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 183 reviews)); "The people are great and passionate about what they do" ((in 156 reviews)); "a good salary and traveling by plane" ((in 146 reviews)); "Great for CV and great colleagues" ((in 137 reviews)); "Good work environment for beginners" ((in 84 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 112 reviews)); "Management is poor" ((in 51 reviews)); "These are universally applied across the board and direct managers have no power to override them." ((in 24 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)); "Long hours at the workplace" ((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.

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United Nations

United Nations 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

2.0

Apr 26, 2009

Excellent pay. Heavy bureaucracy.

Associate social affairs officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Excellent pay and benefits. If you are out in the field the work can be very rewarding

Cons

bureaucracy and mis-management. The red tape can be frustrating and it is difficult to advance based on merit.

4.0

Apr 1, 2009

Being part of the UN for a while was a great experience even after I left.

Assistant coordinator

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The best reasons are that i learned about how an international NGO gets it work done and how to communicate better over long distances. Another good reason is that I met great people and learned a lot about the work the UN does all around.

Cons

The opportunities for professional growth were very limited, and if there were, it was under contract, which excluded key benefits.

3.0

Feb 3, 2009

The United Nations -- Amazing and Amazingly Frustrating

Humanitarian affairs officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

It is deeply satisfying to know that the core purpose of your work is to make the world a better place. Working alongside colleagues from every corner of the earth, many with exceptional credentials and talents, is stimulating and fulfilling. The compensation, compared to non-governmental organizations, is quite generous.

Cons

There is a tremendous amount of nepotism. One learns the true definition of bureaucracy whilst working there. There is a great deal of technological ineptitude that needs to be desperately addressed. Last, spending significant percentages of donors' grants (in terms of cost per work-hour) preparing reports for the very same donors to show them how efficiently their money is being spent is infuriating.

Viewing 2236 - 2238 of 2,241 Reviews

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Jobs at United Nations

Human Resources Assistant (temporary), G6

Wien

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Intern – Cybercrime (Intergovernmental services)

Wien

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International Anticorruption Consultant

Wien

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Consultant on Gender and Anti-Corruption Investigations

Wien

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

Wien

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