Minimum wage in Norway increased in 9 industries. These are the rates from 6 November

The new amounts were published by Arbeidstilsynet, the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority. For most of the adult employee groups listed below, the minimum increased by around NOK 10–16 per hour. In the automotive industry, the increase for a person who has just obtained qualifications is NOK 25.50.

This is an increase in the lower limit of pay. A person already earning more than the new minimum does not automatically receive the same raise as a result – their pay is also determined by their contract and any collective agreement.

Example: 162.5 hours paid at NOK 250.63 equals NOK 40,727.38 gross. At the previous rate of NOK 239.61, this would have been NOK 38,936.63, or NOK 1,790.75 less. The figure of 162.5 is a contractual monthly average based on a 37.5-hour working week. Actual pay depends on recorded hours, supplements and deductions; the new rate applies from 6 November, not retrospectively to the entire month.

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All amounts below are stated in gross NOK per hour. The bold column shows the new minimum, and the second column shows the previous rate stated by Arbeidstilsynet. These are pre-tax amounts and do not include additional benefits due.

Construction rates: qualified worker (fagarbeider) – NOK 276.48, previously NOK 264.32; no qualifications or industry experience – NOK 250.63, previously NOK 239.61; no qualifications and at least one year in the industry – NOK 260.45, previously NOK 249.00; under 18 – NOK 169.91, previously NOK 162.44. The amount depends on qualifications, industry experience and age. Not every construction worker is covered by the same rate.

Cleaning rates: age 18 and over – NOK 247.29, previously NOK 236.54; under 18 – NOK 196.05, previously NOK 185.55. The rates apply to cleaning employees in private companies selling cleaning services. Special exceptions apply to certain collective agreements.

Rates: over 20 years old, or after four months of work experience after turning 18 – NOK 215.29, previously NOK 204.79; age 18 – NOK 176.84, previously NOK 166.34; age 17 – NOK 162.58, previously NOK 152.08; under 17 – NOK 153.08, previously NOK 142.58. Experience qualifying for the NOK 215.29 rate must be acquired after turning 18. For permanent employment, full-time and part-time work count equally; special rules apply to individual on-call assignments.

Rates: skilled worker – NOK 252.09, previously NOK 240.96; production worker – NOK 236.09, previously NOK 225.96. For people under 18, the minimum is generally 80 percent of the applicable rate. Employees over 17 who have worked for the company for 12 weeks receive the rate applicable to their group.

Transporting goods in a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 2.5 tonnes: NOK 244.50 per hour, previously NOK 229.00. Gross vehicle weight means the permitted total weight of the vehicle. The regulation also covers some vans, but not the transport of a company’s own goods.

An employee of a company carrying passengers by coach is entitled to NOK 229.62 per hour, previously NOK 218.62. This concerns tourist transport covered by the regulation. This amount should not automatically be applied to all bus drivers, including regular services operated under public tender.

Rates: qualified workers performing skilled work – NOK 282.95, previously NOK 270.45; other employees – NOK 254.27, previously NOK 241.77. The rates cover work specified in the regulations on electrical installations, automation, IT and telecommunications systems. They do not apply to offshore petroleum activities.

Rates: skilled worker – NOK 232.55, previously NOK 216.79; specialised worker (spesialarbeider) – NOK 221.95, previously NOK 207.14; assistant – NOK 211.49, previously NOK 197.61. The list concerns production, assembly and installation work covered by the regulation.

Rates: employee who has just obtained qualifications – NOK 249.00, previously NOK 223.50; qualified employee after one year of experience – NOK 257.00, previously NOK 237.00; assistant aged 18 and over – NOK 223.50, previously NOK 208.00; assistant aged 18 and over with at least one year of experience – NOK 228.00, previously NOK 212.00.

The scope includes, among other things, repairs, servicing, painting and warehouse work. There are exceptions, including companies mainly engaged in vehicle sales, car windows or petrol stations, as well as some companies covered by a collective agreement. A legally separate workshop at a petrol station may be covered by the regulations.

This is the tenth industry with a statutory minimum. Amounts from 15 June 2025 still apply. An adult permanent employee without qualifications is entitled to at least NOK 182.80 per hour.

For holiday work and harvesting, an adult employee receives at least NOK 162.90 with up to 12 weeks of service, and then NOK 168.40 with up to six months of service. After six months, the rate for an unskilled permanent employee applies. Documented relevant experience is included in the length of service.

Norway does not have one minimum wage for all occupations. Industry regulations cover the types of work and employees specified in them – both Norwegian and foreign workers. Outside these industries, pay is set in the employment contract or under a collective agreement (tariffavtale).

The rates in the regulations do not apply to apprentices (lærling) or participants in labour market activation programmes (arbeidsmarkedstiltak). Exceptions also exist for people who have overall more favourable pay and working conditions. The employer must be able to document this. The scope of a specific regulation is more important than the job title itself.

The new regulations from 6 November also cover Longyearbyen and Ny-Ålesund in Svalbard. This does not automatically mean that the entire archipelago is covered.

The hourly rate alone does not cover all entitlements. Depending on the industry, supplements and expense reimbursement may also apply.

Reimbursement of work-related expenses is not pay that can make up a shortfall from the minimum rate. The nature of other components and whether they form part of the basis for holiday pay, tax and benefits is relevant. In the restaurant industry, tips accounted for and reported by the employer in this way may be recognised as part of pay.

Arbeidstilsynet monitors compliance with minimum rates and may use legal measures, including orders and penalties. Reporting does not replace pursuing unpaid wages. The authority separately explains the procedure for missing wages or holiday pay.

If you are employed by a subcontractor, joint and several liability (solidaransvar) of contractors higher up the contract chain may apply. A claim must be submitted in writing within three months of the payment due date.

Tariffnemnda may extend selected provisions of a collective agreement to employees covered by an industry regulation, including in companies without such an agreement. This mechanism is called allmenngjøring. The new regulations were adopted on 22 October 2026 and entered into force on 6 November.

Sources: Arbeidstilsynet – current minimum rates in 10 industries and links to regulations. Rates and rules were verified on 13 November 2026.