RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/413/Rev.1  
 
9 May 2017 
(17-2214) Page: 1/5 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration    
 
2017 WTO SALARY SURVEY  
Revision  
1.  The purpose of this paper is to provide the Committee with information about the annual salary 
survey which leads to a 0.47% increase to the 2016 salary scale.  
Salary Survey  
2.  In accordance with the Salary Adjustment Methodolo gy, set out in Annex B of the Staff 
Regulations  (see Appendix 1) , the 201 7 salary survey has been carried out comparing WTO 
salaries with those of the market comparators, the United Nations and the Coordinated 
Organizations.  The background relating to the introduction of the current methodology1 in 2004 is 
contained in document WT/BFA/64 . 
3.  In order to determine the adjustment to be made to the WTO Salary Scale each year, the WTO 
salary levels, at the midpoint in each grade, are compared to the international midpoint salary 
levels in the two comparators, the United Nations (Geneva salary levels) and the Coordinated 
Organizations (Paris salary levels converted to Swiss Francs ). A 70% weight is applied to the 
United Nations salary levels, with the remaining 30% weight placed on the Coordinated 
Organizations salary levels.  
4.  Document WT/BFA/64 and Appendix 1 provide further elaboration on the technical details of 
the methodology.   
5.  Appendix 2 shows the adjustments made to the WTO salary scale between 1999 and 2016.  
6.  In 2017, p rofessional s alary levels in the United Nations (70% of the weight) increased 
marginally, with a 1.0 2% increase made to the salary scale for P rofessional staff effective 
1 January . Combined with  an equal negative adjustment  to the Post Adjustmen t factor, salary 
levels remained unchanged . United Nations  salaries for staff in the General Service category were 
reduced by 1.8% following a local salary survey in Geneva . The reduction in salary is applied only 
to staff who join ed the United Nations on or after 1 January 2017, with a frozen salary scale 
applicable to staff  who joined before 1 January 2017 . 
7.  Salaries in the Coordinated Organization (30% of the weight ) increase d by 1.6% effective 
1 January 201 7. 
8.  The application of the prescribed methodology  leads to an increase by 0,47% of the salary 
scale of 2016.  
9.  The frozen salary scales , set out  in appendix 3,  of earlier years remain untouched2.  
                                                
1 Prior to the i ntroduction of the this methodology, salary adjustments were based the movement of the 
Swiss COLA compared to the movements of civil service pay in five countries (France, Germany, Japan, UK and 
US). 
2 Following the 2017 adjustment to the WTO salary scale,  the difference between the highest frozen 
scale introduced in 2012 and the 2017 salary scale will be 4.75%. The estimated impact of the frozen salary 
scales on the salary mass  is CHF 3.5 million per annum.  WT/BFA/W/413/Rev.1  
 
- 2 - 
 
  APPENDIX 1: WTO SALA RY SCALE – METHOD OF ANNUAL ADJ USTMENT  
Pursuant to Staff Regulation  6.2, the WTO salary s cale shall be adjusted according to the 
following method:   
 
The WTO salary scale shall be adjusted annually on 1 January through a comparison of WTO 
international salaries with the salary scales effective on 1 January in a basket of comparators.   The 
compa rators shall be the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG) and the Coordinated 
Organisations [1] (CO).  The relative weighting of the comparators shall be 70% for the United 
Nations and 30% for the Coordinated Organisations.   
 
The salaries of the comparators shall be measured at the mid -point of each of the grades 
that have been determined by the Directo r-General, and reported to the Committee on Budget, 
Finance and Administration and the General Council, to be equivalent to grades 1 through 12, ADG 
and DDG in the WTO.     
 
The international salary scales of the Coordinated Organisations shall be converted  to a 
Geneva base using a 50/50 mix of Purchasing Power Parities (PPP) and one -year average of 
Nominal Exchange rates (NER).   For UNOG, the Swiss franc salary scales (P and GS) shall be 
used.   PPP/NER data used for the purposes of the comparison shall be t he most recent data 
available.   
 
The grade -weighted average difference between the WTO salary scale and the comparator 
salary scales shall then be determined [2], and the WTO salary scale adjusted on average 
accordingly, provided that the resulting overall payroll increase shall not exceed the corresponding 
payroll -weighted average difference between the  WTO salary scale and comparator salary scales.   
In applying the adjustment, the Director -General shall take account of the need to maintain 
competitiveness of all grades with the salaries in the comparators and shall report his decision to 
the Committee o n Budget, Finance and Administration.   
Data sources     
Comparator salary scales  Salary scales for UNOG (Swiss franc salaries for UN staff in Geneva) and the 
Coordinated Organisations effective 1 January for the year in question.  
Purchasing Power Parities 
(PPP)  PPP provided by the Coordinated Organisations for the adjustment of salaries 
of international staff.  
Nominal Exchange Rate (NER)  One-year average of UN operational exchange rates  
  
 
[1] The Coordinated Organisations comprise the following international organizations:   North Atlantic 
Treaty Organization (NATO), Council of Europe, Western Europ ean Union (WEU), European Space Agency 
(ESA), European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the OECD.   The scale used for the 
CO will be based on a weighted average of any change to the CO salary scale as implemented by the 
constituent org anizations of the CO.   
[2] The grade -weighted average refers to the average difference in salarie s weighted by the percentage 
of WTO staff in grades 1 to 12, ADG and DDG.  
 
  WT/BFA/W/413/Rev.1  
 
- 3 – 
  
 
 
 APPENDIX 2: WTO SALA RY SCALE ADJUSTMENTS  1999-2016 
Grade  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2003  
(Jan.)  2003 
(July)  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  
                                          
DDG 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  0.5%  8.4%  2.8%  3.5%  1.35%  0.40%  0.5%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
ADG 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.2%  8.4%  2.8%  3.5%  1.35%  0.40%  0.5%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
12 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.2%  8.4%  2.8%  3.5%  1.35%  1.75%  1.8%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
11 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  3.8%  7.4%  2.8%  3.5%  1.35%  1.75%  1.8%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
10 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.0%  4.4%  2.8%  4.5%  1.35%  1.75%  1.8%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
9 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.0%  3.4%  3.0%  4.5%  1.35%  1.75%  1.8%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
8 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.0%  3.4%  3.0%  4.5%  1.35%  1.75%  1.8%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
7 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.0%  3.4%  1.5%  1.8%  1.35%  1.20%  1.2%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
6 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.0%  2.0%  0.6%  1.5%  0.50%  0.50%  0.5%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
5 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6% 0.3%  3.0%  1.0%  2.0%  0.6%  1.5%  0.50%  0.50%  0.5%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
4 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.0%  2.0%  0.6%  1.5%  0.50%  0.50%  0.5%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
3 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.0%  2.0%  0.6%  1.5%  0.50%  0.50% 0.5%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
2 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.0%  2.0%  0.6%  1.5%  0.50%  0.50%  0.5%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
1 0% 0.6%  1.9%  1.6%  0.3%  3.0%  1.0%  2.0%  0.6%  1.5%  0.50%  0.50%  0.5%  0.0%  0.0%  -
3.4%  -
0.86%  0.0%  0.5%  -
1.5%  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 WT/BFA/W/413/Rev.1  
 
- 4 - WT/BFA/W/413/Rev.1  
 
- 4 - 
 
 
- 4 - APPENDIX 3: FROZEN S ALARY SCALES IN EFFECT  FOR STAFF WHJO JOINE D BEFORE 2016, 2013 
AND 2012 RESPECTIVEL Y AND 2017 PROVISIONAL  SALARY SCALE  
Annual  Salary Scale  applicable to staff who joined before 1 January 2016   
 
 
Grade  Range   
Increment  Minimum  Maximum  
1 50,964  69,453  2,090  
2 55,542  75,711  2,222  
3 60,526  82,493  2,361  
4 66,025  89,989  2,509  
5 72,251  98,462  2,673  
6 79,124  107,842  2,848  
7 90,881  123,863  3,181  
8 114,153  152,327  3,425  
9 135,615  175,736  3,526  
10 161,395  195,958  3,712 
11 189,737  216,168  2,087  
12 206,938  225,279  2,276  
ADG 237,413  237,413  - 
DDG 257,211  257,211  - 
 
Annual Salary Scale applicable to staff wh o joined before 1 January 2013  
 
 
Grade  Range   
Increment  Minimum  Maximum  
1 51,150  69,706  2,097  
2 55,745  75,987 2,230  
3 60,747  82,795  2,369  
4 66,267  90,318  2,518  
5 72,516  98,822  2,705  
6 79,413  108,236  2,859  
7 91,213  124,316  3,192  
8 114,570  152,884  3,437  
9 136,111  176,379  3,539  
10 161,985  196,674  3,726  
11 190,431  216,959  2,095  
12 207,694  226,102  2,285  
ADG 238,281  238,281  - 
DDG 258,151  258,151  - 
 
Annual Salary Scale applicable to staff wh o joined before 1 January 2012  
 
 
Grade  Range   
Increment  Minimum  Maximum  
1 52,950  72,159  2,171  
2 57,707  78,661  2,308  
3 62,885  85,709  2,453  
4 68,599  93,497  2,607  
5 75,068  102,300  2,778  
6 82,208  112,046  2,959  
7 94,423  128,692  3,305  
8 118,602  158,265  3,558  
9 140,902  182,587  3,663  
10 167,686  203,596  3,857  
11 197,134  224,595  2,168  
12 215,004  234,060  2,365  
ADG 246,668  246,668  - 
DDG 267,237  267,237  - 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 WT/BFA/W/413/Rev.1  
 
- 5 - 
 
  WT/BFA/W/413/Rev.1  
 
- 5 - 2017 Provisional Annual Salary Scale applicable to staff who joined on or after 1 January 2016  
 
 
Grade  Range   
Increment  Minimum  Maximum  
1 50,436  68,733  2,068  
2 54,966  74,926  2,199  
3 59,898  81,638  2,336  
4 65,341  89,056  2,483  
5 71,501  97,441  2,646 
6 78,303  106,723  2,819  
7 89,939  122,578  3,148  
8 112,969  150,747  3,389  
9 134,209  173,914  3,489  
10 159,721  193,926  3,674  
11 187,769  213,926  2,065  
12 204,792  222,943  2,253  
ADG 234,951  234,951  - 
DDG 254,544  254,544  - 
 
 
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