What is the average salary in Norway? We know the latest figures
More than 63 percent of jobs in Norway offer salaries below the national average. In 2025, the average monthly salary calculated for a full-time position was NOK 62,070. However, the median was noticeably lower, reaching NOK 55,800.
Although the average salary continues to rise, the reality is not as ideal as it might seem.
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The Norwegian Statistical Office (SSB) publishes annual salary data covering all paid jobs in Norway. The statistics show that the average alone does not always best answer the question of what a typical salary is. This is due to the way it is calculated. A small group of very highly paid positions can significantly raise the result for the entire labor market, even if most employees earn less.
The average shows one thing. The median gives a different picture of Norway
In 2025, the average monthly salary was NOK 62,070. At the same time, more than 63 percent of jobs were below this level, because the highest salaries raised the average for the entire economy. This applies to data calculated for full-time positions. The salaries of employees working part-time were therefore recalculated as if they worked full-time.
The median salary, on the other hand, was NOK 55,800. It was NOK 6,270 lower than the average, and its value means that half of the jobs had a lower salary and half had a higher one. The median is less affected by the highest salaries. For this reason, it may better reflect the typical wage level in many professions.
The median salary, on the other hand, was NOK 55,800. It was NOK 6,270 lower than the average, and its value means that half of the jobs had a lower salary and half had a higher one. The median is less affected by the highest salaries. For this reason, it may better reflect the typical wage level in many professions.
The more people have very high or very low salaries compared to the 'norm' in a given profession, the more the average will differ from the median.Photo: Adobe Stock, standard license
Differences depend on the profession. The highest salaries change the statistics
The scale of the difference between the average and the median strongly depends on the profession. Among managing directors, the average monthly salary was NOK 108,510, while the median reached NOK 84,000. The difference was NOK 24,510. For financial analysts, the average was NOK 84,480 and the median NOK 75,360, which meant a difference of NOK 9,120.
In other professions, both indicators were almost identical. Nurses earned an average of NOK 58,290, and the median was NOK 57,830, while among carpenters the values were NOK 48,020 and NOK 47,900, respectively. An even smaller difference was recorded among social care workers, where the average was NOK 57,350 and the median NOK 57,190. The data show that the significance of the average depends mainly on how large the variation in salaries is within a given occupational group.
In other professions, both indicators were almost identical. Nurses earned an average of NOK 58,290, and the median was NOK 57,830, while among carpenters the values were NOK 48,020 and NOK 47,900, respectively. An even smaller difference was recorded among social care workers, where the average was NOK 57,350 and the median NOK 57,190. The data show that the significance of the average depends mainly on how large the variation in salaries is within a given occupational group.
SSB also points out that quartiles, which show the range covering the middle 50 percent of salaries, allow for a more accurate assessment of wages. Salary levels are also influenced by age, experience, education, working hours, industry, and employment sector. Therefore, comparing your own salary with the national average alone does not give a complete picture of the situation.
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