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Working conditions of expat aid workers
- Page updated onMarch 15, 2025
While working at the headquarters of an international cooperation organization for development and humanitarian action, despite the specificity of the sector, is largely similar to many other jobs, there are huge differences in what it means to be an expatriate international aid worker.
Expatriating to work in the coordination of health projects and programs or to practice a health profession in a humanitarian context is a whole life experience, with lights and shadows, both personally and professionally, that is worth investigating and learning about before taking the plunge.
Table of contents:
Salary and benefits for expat aid workers
Although there are enormous differences between organizations, in general there are some common characteristics in terms of conditions and benefits for expatriates working in international cooperation.
Salary and allowances vary
Salaries vary - as is natural - between organizations, according to the type of position (and its level of responsibility) and according to the professional experience of each person. In general, and considering some of the international organizations working in humanitarian health, salaries tend to be lower in NGOs (compared to UN agencies and private for-profit companies), and especially in NGOs based in southern Europe (compared to NGOs in northern European countries and the United States, which sometimes offer similar conditions to those of UN agencies).
In addition to the base salary, which is usually modest (compared to the private company) but sufficiently competitive, there are salary supplements related to the complexity and dangerousness of the humanitarian settings where one works, per diem allowances to cover living expenses to a greater or lesser extent, and even additional family allowances for cases in which one travels with one's partner (if not employed) and dependent children of school age, in the contexts where this is possible (obviously, it is usually only possible in the most stable contexts).
In addition, aid workers are entitled to other benefits
Expatriate aid professionals are also covered for accommodation (either in housing offered by the organization, which is sometimes shared with other members of the team, or with financial assistance to cover most of the costs of renting private housing), paid vacations, health care insurance (under conditions similar to the coverage to which you are entitled in the HQ country) and repatriation, life and disability insurance, travel to start and end your deployment and, on occasion, additional costs to make periodic short rest & recuperation trips abroad in contexts where the work is very intense and demanding.
Although each international organization may offer a different remuneration and benefits package, (at least in Spain) there is a minimum established in the Spanish Aid Worker Statute (updated in 2024), which also grants the right to consular assistance and protection from diplomatic missions and to have covered expenses related to obtaining residence and work permits in the destination countries, recommended international vaccination fees, and expenses for moving personal property (in contracts of more than one year's duration), among others. This, of course, depends on each country's laws.
In addition, all organizations, to a greater or lesser extent, offer training at the beginning of the incorporation to the job. Many also offer some type of psychological support if necessary.
The best and the worst of being a humanitarian aid worker
It is a very intense work
Although this is entirely personal, the experience of working as an expatriate professional in international development cooperation or humanitarian action is very different from that of (almost) any other job. Most humanitarian workers would probably agree that working as an expatriate aid worker is characterized by its intensity, for better and for worse.
They often work, in long shifts and at a very high pace, in contexts of high insecurity, which can produce stress and anxiety. Moreover, the harshness of measures to deal with these risks (curfews, limitations on movement outside areas considered "safe", or living closely and continuously in shared living quarters with the same people with whom one works) can also be difficult to cope with.
Some of the jobs performed by expatriate workers are very physically demanding, due to the extreme of some climates, the exhausting nature of continuous travel, or the exposure to a high risk of infection by endemic pathogens. They are also mentally exhausting, due to the strenuousness of a high workload and responsibility. Finally, they can be emotionally demanding, because of the continuous ethical dilemmas to be faced, the -extreme- contradictions experienced between the countries of origin and destination, the distance from the usual social and support network in the country of origin, the continuous and, I suppose, inevitable feeling of not being well prepared to face everything (hello, imposter syndrome), and the contact with people -who are no longer anonymous, invisible and distant- who suffer and try to overcome the worst injustices, inequalities and human rights violations.
High autonomy, creativity and satisfaction, in community
On the other hand, these are also jobs that require a high level of autonomy, resilience and creativity for problem solving and that contribute in large part to the personal satisfaction of helping to alleviate the suffering of other people, which fits with the motivation and vocation of many of these professionals.
All this, moreover, is rarely experienced in isolation. Rather, it is usually easy to meet and connect with other expatriates, who share similar concerns and values, from many different organizations and countries. However, at times, high staff turnover makes it difficult to form close, lasting relationships, or one may feel the need to step out of an insular circle of expatriates, often perceived as a bubble of frivolity, disconnected from the reality just beyond the wall. It depends on each individual’s personality, but also on the stage of life they are in.
High mobility, uprooting, and a challenging work-life balance
Expatriates working in cooperation must also face the consequences of being far away, often for long periods, from their home countries, families, and friends. When deployments and trips abroad are repeated and prolonged over time, it becomes easy to lose one's roots or sense of belonging to the place one comes from. Mobility, while offering the opportunity to meet many people from different cultures and places, can also make it difficult to balance personal life with professional life if the former is not prioritized and one has some luck and opportunities that make everything easier.
Sometimes, after a long period of expatriation in the field, professional aid workers return to their countries of origin to reestablish themselves, seek a certain geographical and job stability, begin a long-term relationship, or start a family. This return, which is usually facilitated by the savings generated during the work as an expat aid worker (even working in NGOs with modest salaries, these are usually saved almost completely, as almost all travel, living and housing expenses are covered), may be hindered by the loss of contacts, by the disconnection from the previous professional trajectory, or by now having a less competitive professional profile for the local labor market in their home country.
Working in humanitarian action
External links
- Boletín Oficial del Estado (España), 2024. Estatuto de las personas cooperantes.
- The Guardian, 2015-2018. The secret aid worker.
- The Global Humanitarian. 8 Biggest Challenges Humanitarian Aid Workers Face – And How to Overcome Them.
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