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Your guide to the employment landscape, working customs and local labor laws in Norway.
Capital
Oslo
Currency
Kroner
Languages
Norwegian and Sami
GDP per Capita
$79,638.75
Employer Tax
14.1%
Payroll Frequency
Monthly
Norway is one of the most financially-progressive countries in the world, with oil and gas contributing to 20% of its economy. The country ranks 9th in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index and is the 14th freest economy in 2022, with a score of 76.9.
Major economic hubs:
Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim
Skills in demand:
Local: 1
World: 129
Local: 2
World: 199
Local: 3
World: 245
Local: 4
World: 620
Local: 5
World: 1107
2,390,000
Top Local Job Boards:
Top Local Job Boards
Number of LinkedIn users:
Number of LinkedIn users
Top Recruitment Agencies:
Some common jobs in Norway with average monthly salary are:
Job Title | Average Annual Salary (NOK) | Average Yearly Salary (USD) |
Financial Manager | 1,170,000 NOK | 117,184 USD |
General Manager | 1,000,000 NOK | 100,158 USD |
Business Developer Manager | 934,000 NOK | 93,547 USD |
Financial Analyst | 731,000 NOK | 73,215 USD |
Business Analyst | 726,000 NOK | 72,714 USD |
Project Manager | 649,000 NOK | 65,000 USD |
The Working Environment Act (WEA) regulates the employer-employee relationship in Norway. The Act is applicable to all employees but not self-employed professionals. The following provisions form an important part of WEA, and all employers in Norway must respect them.
The Norwegian labour laws require employers to present a written employment contract to their employees. The contract must include important details such as working location, date of commencement, job description, benefits, notice period, collective agreement, and duration of the contract.
The probation period in Norway is a maximum of six months from the employee’s first working day.
Date | Name | Type |
1 Jan | New Year’s Day | National holiday |
28 Mar | Maundy Thursday | National holiday |
29 Mar | Good Friday | National holiday |
31 Mar | Easter Sunday | National holiday |
1 Apr | Easter Monday | National holiday |
1 May | Labor Day | National holiday, Flag day |
9 May | Ascension Day | National holiday |
17 May | 17 May Constitution Day (1814) | National holiday, Flag day |
19 May | Whit Sunday | National holiday |
20 May | Whit Monday | National holiday |
25 Dec | Christmas Day | National holiday |
26 Dec | Boxing Day | National holiday |
Type of Leave | Time Period | Mandatory |
Annual/Earned Leave | 25 days | Yes |
Sick Leave | 16 days | Yes |
Maternity Leave | 18 weeks (12 weeks before birth and 6 weeks after birth) | Yes |
Payroll cycle
Employers in Norway follow a monthly payroll cycle.
Minimum wage
Norway does not have a statutory minimum wage policy. The wage amount is decided via collective agreements between employers and employees.
Overtime pay
The standard working hours in Norway are 9 hours per day and 40 hours per 7 days. However, employees who commit longer duration to their work are liable to overtime pay.
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Contribution | Rate |
Social security | 14.1% |
Contribution | Rate | |
Social security | Employees | 8% |
Self-employed | 11.2% |
The general income tax is levied at flat 22%. Additionally, individuals earning more than NOK 190,250 are subject to the following progressive tax rates:
Income range (in NOK) | Rate |
NOK 190,350 – NOK 267,900 | 1.7% |
NOK 267,900 – NOK 643,800 | 4.0% |
NOK 643,800 – NOK 969,200 | 13.4% |
NOK 969,200 – NOK 2,000,000 | 16.4% |
More than NOK 2,000,000 | 17.4% |
The rate of Value Added Tax in Norway is 25%.
13th Month Pay: Norway does not mandate 13th month pay.
Employee Benefits:
Termination Process: Termination of employment contract is considered legal in the following cases:
Norway’s Working Environment Act mandates employers to provide a written notice before terminating an employee’s contract. The notice is not necessary in cases of termination due to misconduct.
Employees on probation must be given 14 days of notice period before termination. Permanent employees are given notice period as per the following table:
Length of continuous employment | Notice period |
0 – 4 years | 1 month |
5 – 9 years | 2 months |
10 years and more | 3 months |
Furthermore, the notice period is prolonged to 4 months if the employee has reached 50 years of age after 10 years of continuous employment, 5 months after the age of 55 and 6 months after 60 years of age.
There are no laws regarding mandatory severance pay in Norway. The employee is only entitled to their ordinary salary and any additional monetary benefits mentioned in the contract. A severance package is only legal if it’s a part of the collective agreement between the two parties.
Every expat in Norway must have resident and work permits before their first date of employment. The prospective employee can apply for the permits themselves, or their employer can reach out to the relevant authorities on their behalf. The work permit application takes nearly 8 weeks to process, during which the employee can stay with a residence permit but cannot work for the employer.
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Overtime Pay
Minimum Wage
Overtime Pay
The standard working hours in Norway are 9 hours per day and 40 hours per 7 days. However, employees who commit longer duration to their work are liable to overtime pay.
Norwegian laws legalise overtime only during exceptional and time-specific circumstances. Overtime must not exceed 10 hours in a span of 7 days, 25 hours in 4 consecutive weeks, and 200 hours in 52 weeks. Employers must compensate the employee for the overtime work, by paying at least 40% higher than the regular hourly rate.
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