That's pretty shocking about IRC. They must only be able to hire Americans with no student debt. Low 20s for overseas work is ridiculous.

I'm glad you posted this, especially as there's a lot of controversy and perception of grossly overpaid NGO workers travelling around in land cruisers, living in posh houses, etc. Certainly some are, but many more are not.

I can testify personally that when I joined an NGO in Afghanistan, I took a $20K annual pay drop to go earn roughly $36K there (this was coming in with 5+ years of experience). With free housing and an annual home-leave supplement, however, it was equivalent to living in the west and paying taxes. But there were many (Western) paid interns and program assistants who earned far, far less at my org - $750-$1000 a month. So why do people like me and others accept the poor pay? I think one "earns" far more in experience than in money, and for many of us, myself included, it's an incredible professional growth opportunity. But I also know that those same salaries are what deterred a lot of good people from being hired or from staying longer than their one-year contract. (Who can save money for grad school on $750 a month?)

And of course I'm sure someone will post a comment related to national staff salaries and how little they are paid in comparison to expats, etc. I won't even begin to get into that one, as I think you've mentioned it in previous postings!

If The UN is where you go to make a lot of money, then the OSCE is where you go to make even more. I had a colleague who was seconded by the Norwegian Government, and he made close to 200K a year (including per diem) as a legal adviser. My jaw dropped when I learned this, because I didn't think anyone but executive director of huge international NGOs had such salaries. My Norwegian colleague was a bit of an aberration, though, and he might have been pulling my leg. In any case, my fellow interns and I never again objected to him paying for lunch or a round of drinks.

National staff were paid according to a salary grid, and interns all received 20 percent of the per diem, which was enough to pay for all living expenses and have spending money left over. International staff seconded by governments from the FSU often get salaries (because their governments didn't want to or couldn't pay them), so those employees received only the per diem, which was about 2500 euros per month for Bosnia and Herzegovina, if I remember correctly --and I might not. To make a long story short, one generally knew what one's colleagues were making, as long as they were national staff, internationals from the FSU, or interns.

I started overseas at $36,500 with a Master's degree. Well, I really started for free, as a secret unpaid UN intern for an agency I won't name to protect them HQ. But my first paying job was at $36,500. I remember being so thrilled by the salary. I worked for a company implmenting a USAID contract, though, so the pay may have been higher than NGO pay.

In my observations, it seems that UN people (in general) drive VERY nice cars (almost always new). So either their salary affords them the ability to buy these expensive vehicles or it's a perk of the job to get a nice personal vehicle. Either way, a huge expense in a place that doesn't need to have my hard earned tax money spent.

I think anyone in any job should be paid a good wage.

In the bigger picture, this is why I feel so strongly that mission organizations do things so well on the cheap. They are very limited in their financial resources (save for SP) but do a LOT with that little bit they have. It's all they got, it better work and work well for a long time.

Other NGOs seem to be big spenders with little long-term effect.

On another note, local vs. foreign salaries. This is a MAJOR PROBLEM. Many NGOs, especially the large ones, will come in and pay local people on the same salary scale as someone from the west. This has created so many problems in the culture it's not even funny any more. A new caste is created, families torn apart, higher expectations, and many more issues. One directly felt by me, it's nearly impossible to higher people with any skills (language, math, or just logical) anymore b/c either they are all employed by the UN or the UN has skewed the whole economy so that we can't afford to pay anyone who is available for work. It messes up the whole economy.

Then there's the (mostly French, medical) NGOs that rely heavily on volunteers, who might be given around 600 Euros a month. Salaried positions with the same, around 800 a month, while the Head of Mission might get about 1,000. Plus living costs, but still paltry compared to the likes of IRC and CARE.

This is an interesting thread.  I've worked at both the UN and OSCE and have been paid well in general.  There are so many categories, however, that one cannot generalize.  Let me break it down:
1. General vs. Professional staff2. Local vs. International staff3. Contracted vs. Seconded staff (in the OSCE at least)4. Staff vs. Consultant5. Headquarter vs. Mission staff
I have been 1. Professional, 2. International, 3. Both, 4. Both and 5. Both.  First of all, being a Professional International already puts you in a higher pay scale.  For 3, 4 and 5 it depends.
Let me speak more on the 3rd category: Contracted/Seconded.  Contracted Staff are on a set pay system, but Seconded staff are at the mercy of their seconding country.  As someone already pointed out, some countries (smaller, poorer ones) don't pay staff at all!  They allow their secondees to rely on the per diem, which can be sufficient.  Others (like the Scandinavian countries) pay very, very well and many fall in the middle (like the US).
On the 4th category, I was a consultant at the UN in New York and was paid more than my staff friends because I had no benefits.  Instead I got an additional salary that I appreciated at the time because I was very young and healthy; I preferred cash to health care.  (Also, I come from a family of doctors and got on their health plan, which was allowed for children under 25.)  However, for individuals who are older and with families, there is a drawback to being a consultant.  It is also far more temporary and dependent on organizational budgets.  This is really only feasible in one's 20s.
On the 5th category, Mission staff - as someone previously noted - generally make much more money (assuming you're not Local, but International staff).  You get daily allowances at minimum and sometimes hazard pay.  The cost of living is usually much less.  I lived a good life in Bosnia with the OSCE and saved almost everything I made.
Overall, I'd say that the OSCE pays better than anyone, then the UN if you're in the right categories and finally large non-profits (Ford, Gates, Clinton).  Small non-profits are notorious for having ridiculously low salaries.
I fully agree with another commentator that if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.  I've seen that so often, and this non-profit sector is really one that requires a certain skill set and education.  To attract the best, you have to pay accordingly.  The bonus is that most people in the non-profit sector have personal motivations that compel them to work, but that cannot put food on the table.  There is always a middle ground.
But because of that "personal motivation" I still say that if you want to make money, don't come to the non-profit sector.  If you're bright, you can always make more money in the private sector.  My first job offer was out of college with Boston Consulting for $70,000 with the probability to get into six-figures quickly.  Instead I went to graduate school and then joined the UN.  I make six figures now, but I would be making more, I think, if I went the other route.
Ultimately, one must be both idealistic and pragmatic.  I've always negotiated tough on my salary because I had the right pedigree: degrees, experience, languages.  I never accepted a low-paying salary and set a precedent.  I'm probably happier for it.
I hope this helps!

I really appreciate all of this information shared, so thank you all!  I have been a self employed independent recruiter, successfully running my own recruiting business for over five years and in the industry for over 10.  My question is this, does anyone know how I would transition into this world?  I have a ton of business/project management skills and dream to work in a meaningful way helping people, yet I have absolutely no idea where to begin.  I have completed three years of college and it seems I am competing with people who have their master's degrees.  Any suggestions?