Per SSB wage statistics, 2025
Salaries in Norway (2026)
Norway has the highest nominal wages in the Nordics: the national average measured by Statistics Norway (SSB) reached 62,070 kroner a month in 2025, up from 59,370 in 2024, with the most common wage sitting between 40,000 and 45,000 kroner. Pay is quoted as a monthly wage per occupation, collective agreements set the floors - in some sectors for everyone - and a tax stack of 22 percent income tax, 7.6 percent national insurance and bracket tax decides the net. Here are the verified benchmarks for the five professions internationals actually move for.
By the NordicPay editorial team · Updated $1
Quick answer — gross salaries in Norway, per month
| Profession | Gross NOK / month | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse | 56,710 incl. supplements | per SSB, 2024 |
| Software engineer | 73,000-75,000 | per SSB-based 2024 data |
| Teacher (grunnskole) | ≈58,370 | per SSB occupational tables |
| Electrician | 48,700-52,000 | per SSB-based 2024 figures |
| Chef | 40,000-45,000 typical (minimum 35,703) | agreement minimum April 2025 |
Nurse Salary in Norway
Average NOK 56,710 incl. supplements per SSB 2024; master's start above 61,000.
Software Engineer Salary in Norway
Around NOK 73,000-75,000 a month per SSB-based 2024 data.
Teacher Salary in Norway
Grunnskolelarere average about NOK 58,370 per SSB occupational tables.
Electrician Salary in Norway
Average NOK 48,700-52,000 per SSB-based 2024 figures, with overtime on top.
Chef Salary in Norway
Agreement minimum from NOK 35,703 (April 2025); market pay typically 40,000-45,000.
How Norwegian pay works
SSB's wage statistics measure monthly wages per November, and trade totals often include supplements - shift pay, on-call allowances and overtime - so two figures that look comparable may measure different things. Norway's labour market is strongly unionised and collective agreements set minimum terms across most of it; uniquely, in sectors such as hotels and restaurants, fishing, construction and ship cleaning, the agreement minimums are made generally applicable by law and bind non-unionised employers too. That is why a qualified cook's floor of 35,703 kroner a month (April 2025) is a hard legal minimum, not a suggestion.
Above the floors, local negotiation and seniority drive progression. Nurses with a master's degree start above 61,000 kroner; teachers advance along the seniority ladder with each settlement round; electricians earn their ceiling through overtime and certification for panel work; software engineers negotiate individually, which is what pushes the tech median to 73,000-75,000 kroner. Every guide in the cards above carries the full occupational table, the experience bands and a worked take-home example for its profession.
Tax in Norway: what survives of the gross
Norway taxes employment income in three layers. Ordinary income tax is 22 percent; national insurance contributions (trygdeavgift) take 7.6 percent of gross personal income; and bracket tax runs 1.7-17.7 percent across four steps in 2026, with the top step starting well above average pay. The standard minimum deduction (minstefradrag) - up to about 92,000 kroner of employment income, at a minimum of 46 percent class rate - shrinks the base before the rates bite, which is why effective rates land well below the sum of the layers.
| Tax / deduction | Rate 2026 | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary income tax | 22% | taxable ordinary income after deductions |
| National insurance (trygdeavgift) | 7.6% | gross personal income |
| Bracket tax (trinnskatt) | 1.7-17.7% | four income steps, top step above ~1,950,000 NOK |
| Minimum deduction (minstefradrag) | up to ≈92,000 NOK | standard employment-income deduction |
| Effective tax on an average full-time wage | roughly 26-31% | single taxpayer after deductions and credits |
Employers pay a further 14.6 percent employer's contribution in most regions (lower in the northern sparsely populated zones) without touching the payslip, and most jobs carry a negotiated occupational pension on top of the public one. A single taxpayer on the 62,070 kroner average keeps roughly 26-31 percent less than gross. For exact withholding, run your case in Skatteetaten's calculators; the benchmarks on this page come from Statistics Norway (SSB).
For the same five professions in the other systems, see salaries in Sweden, salaries in Denmark and salaries in Finland - or the NordicPay hub for the four-country comparison.
FAQ
What is the average salary in Norway in 2026?
Statistics Norway (SSB) measured the national average at 62,070 kroner a month in 2025, up from 59,370 in 2024, with the most common wage sitting between 40,000 and 45,000 kroner. The five benchmark professions run from about 40,000-45,000 for chefs to 73,000-75,000 for software engineers.
How much tax do I pay on a Norwegian salary?
The 2026 stack is 22 percent ordinary income tax, 7.6 percent national insurance contributions and 1.7-17.7 percent bracket tax, softened by the standard minimum deduction (minstefradrag). A single average full-time earner pays an effective rate of roughly 26-31 percent.
Is there a minimum wage in Norway?
Norway has no statutory minimum wage, but in sectors with generally applicable collective agreements the floors bind everyone - qualified cooks in hotels and restaurants must be paid from NOK 35,703 a month (April 2025), regardless of union membership.
Which profession pays the most in Norway?
Of the five benchmark professions, software engineers earn the most at around NOK 73,000-75,000 a month per SSB-based 2024 data. Teachers average about 58,370 kroner, nurses 56,710 including supplements, electricians 48,700-52,000 plus overtime, and chefs typically 40,000-45,000.
Are Norwegian salaries quoted monthly or yearly?
Norway quotes monthly wages, and SSB's wage statistics measure the November wage. Trade totals often include supplements such as shift and on-call pay - always check whether a figure is base pay or total earnings before comparing offers.