BO I NORGE · WORK & LIFE
Salaries & jobs in Norway
Compare industry earnings, understand the job market and plan your next step.
Updated 29 September 2026 · Earnings: 2025 · Labour market: August 2026Average monthly earnings
62 070 NOK2025 · before tax · full-time equivalent
Registered unemployment
2.1%August 2026 · NAV · seasonally adjusted
Advertised vacancies
30 600August 2026 · arbeidsplassen.no
Specific jobs: pay & hiring
2025 monthly pay before tax, NOK, full-time equivalent; both sexes. Mean and median are different: half of jobs fall below the median and half above. These are employee statistics, not guaranteed starting pay.
| Job / reference group | Mean | Median | SSB |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook · kokk | 43 160 | 41 610 | 5120 |
| Waiter · servitør | 38 370 | 37 350 | 5131 |
| Kitchen helper · kjøkkenassistent | 38 530 | 38 140 | 9412 |
| City bus driver · bussjåfør¹ | 47 630 | 47 270 | 8331 |
| Coach driver · turbussjåfør¹ | 47 630 | 47 270 | 8331 |
| Taxi driver · drosjesjåfør² | 42 870 | 41 570 | 8322 |
| Truck driver · lastebilsjåfør | 48 950 | 47 260 | 8332 |
| Fish cutting / gutting benchmark³ | 47 390 | 44 650 | 7511 |
| Food-production machine operator³ | 45 790 | 43 480 | 8160 |
| Hand packer³ | 45 710 | 43 880 | 9321 |
| Carpenter · tømrer / snekker | 48 020 | 47 900 | 7115 |
| Building labourer · hjelpearbeider i bygg | 44 210 | 43 690 | 9313 |
| Plumber · rørlegger | 53 110 | 53 750 | 7126 |
| Painter · maler | 47 310 | 45 900 | 7131 |
| Electrician · elektriker | 54 460 | 54 930 | 7411 |
| Construction-machine operator · anleggsmaskinfører | 52 830 | 51 510 | 8342 |
¹ Bus and coach rows share SSB group 8331 (bus and tram drivers); there is no separate coach estimate in this table. ² Taxi uses group 8322, which also includes car and van drivers. It is not a taxi-only figure or the profit of a self-employed owner.
³ Fish-factory jobs are classified by duties. Group 7511 combines butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers; 8160 covers food-production operators; 9321 covers hand packers across industries. These are comparison groups, not fish-factory-only wages. Check which tasks and classification match the actual job.
Restaurants: are workers needed?
Cooks: documented regional shortages in NAV’s 2026 Buskerud/Akershus survey. Waiters and kitchen helpers: this evidence does not establish a nationwide shortage. Compare local vacancies, guaranteed hours, evening/weekend shifts and customer-language expectations. Search: kokk, servitør, kjøkkenassistent, oppvask.
Bus, coach & freight drivers
Regional demand is documented: NAV estimated a shortage of 25 bus/tram drivers and 25 truck drivers in Vestfold in 2026, rounded to the nearest 25. This does not establish a separate national coach shortage. Paid bus driving normally requires class D and YSK; confirm passenger-driver permits and employer requirements. Heavy freight requires the appropriate licence and YSK, subject to exemptions.
Taxi: vacancies are not proof of a shortage
A nationwide taxi-driver shortage has not been established by the sources used here. Check fixed pay versus commission, paid hours, waiting time and who pays vehicle costs. Class B and a police-issued kjøreseddel are relevant; a taxi-driver exam is normally required unless an exemption applies. Running a taxi business requires separate operator authorisation.
Fish factories: check the plant and season
Do not assume a permanent national shortage. NAV reported fish-industry temporary layoffs in Røst in June 2026. Ask about contract duration, guaranteed hours, cold/wet work, hygiene training, shift supplements and accommodation deductions. Search: fiskeindustriarbeider, produksjonsmedarbeider sjømat, filetering, sløying, pakking.
Construction: skilled trades versus helpers
NAV’s 2026 regional surveys identify shortages of carpenters, plumbers and electricians. That does not imply the same shortage for unskilled building labourers. Match experience, trade qualifications and site-safety requirements to the role; check project length, location and travel arrangements. The industry average includes higher-paid roles, so use the occupation figures above.
Fish-processing wage note: Arbeidstilsynet currently marks the former statutory sector minimum rates as valid only until 3 August 2026. Do not treat an old online hourly rate as today’s legal floor; check the current official position and the employer’s collective agreement.
01 · Earnings by industry
SSB averages, not starting salaries or take-home pay. Monthly earnings include bonuses and irregular supplements, exclude overtime, and convert part-time jobs to full-time equivalents. Industry averages combine many occupations and experience levels.
| Industry | NOK / month |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 55 520 |
| Mining & quarrying | 94 310 |
| Manufacturing | 62 650 |
| Electricity, gas & steam | 84 980 |
| Water, sewerage & waste | 57 940 |
| Construction | 58 840 |
| Wholesale, retail & vehicle repair | 55 680 |
| Transport & storage | 59 980 |
| Accommodation & food services | 42 810 |
| Information & communication | 80 770 |
| Finance & insurance | 88 570 |
| Real estate | 75 060 |
| Professional, scientific & technical services | 76 810 |
| Administrative & support services | 53 980 |
| Public administration & defence | 66 440 |
| Education | 58 240 |
| Health & social work | 56 340 |
| Arts, entertainment & recreation | 54 440 |
| Other services | 56 980 |
02 · The job market now
NAV recorded about 62,800 fully unemployed people in August 2026. The seasonally adjusted rate was unchanged from July at 2.1%. Registered unemployment measures people registered with NAV; it is not the same measure as SSB’s Labour Force Survey.
Vacancy advertisements on arbeidsplassen.no were down 2% from August 2025. Health and care accounted for 7,100 advertised positions. These are monthly advertisements, not a count of all unfilled jobs in Norway.
NAV · August 2026 labour market release ↗
03 · Where to focus your job search
Our interpretation: prioritise roles where your skills match documented demand. A shortage does not mean every applicant can easily find work.
Health & care
The clearest national demand signal in NAV’s August report. Check the specific role’s qualification, authorisation and language requirements before applying.
Skilled trades
NAV’s 2026 survey in Buskerud and Akershus identifies shortages of carpenters, plumbers and electricians, alongside health workers. This is regional evidence, not a national ranking.
Cooks & selected teaching roles
The same regional survey reports shortages of cooks and preschool, primary-school and vocational teachers. Search by municipality and specialism; demand varies.
IT, finance & other higher-paid industries
High average pay alone is not evidence of easy hiring. Compare current vacancies with your experience, language skills and portfolio rather than choosing by salary alone.
NAV · 2026 employer survey, Buskerud & Akershus ↗
04 · Turn the data into a plan
- Choose two or three target occupations, then compare real job advertisements in the places where you can live.
- Record repeated requirements: Norwegian, qualifications, experience, driving licence and shift availability. Use these to plan your learning.
- Compare offers using working hours, position percentage, base pay and supplements. An industry average cannot predict your individual salary.
Sources & updates
This is a dated overview, not a live data feed. Earnings are SSB’s 2025 annual release, published 5 February 2026. The employment snapshot uses NAV’s August 2026 release, published 28 August 2026. Regional shortage findings were published 20 May 2026. Follow the source links for newer releases.