Minimum Wage Rates in Norway in 2026 - How Much Must You Earn?

Do you work in construction, cleaning, hospitality or transport and wonder what hourly rate should appear on your payslip? In 2026, the rules depend primarily on the industry, type of work, qualifications, age and experience.

In this article, we present the rates applicable in 2026. We also explain which supplements must be added to your pay and how to check whether your employer is calculating your hours correctly.

When does the minimum wage apply in Norway?

Norway does not have one statutory minimum wage for all employees. Mandatory rates apply in industries covered by the allmenngjøring system, meaning the general application of selected provisions of collective agreements.

In practice, this means that the set rates apply to all employees performing a given type of work, including:

• people who are not members of a trade union,
• foreign workers,
• employees posted to Norway,
• people employed full-time and part-time.

In 2026, statutory minimum rates apply in nine industries. If you work outside these industries, your pay is determined by your employment contract or the collective agreement applicable at your workplace.

Minimum rates generally do not cover vocational trainees or people participating in labour market programmes. However, an employee hired through a staffing agency is subject to the principle of equal treatment and should receive terms equivalent to those offered under direct employment by the company using their work.

What are the minimum rates in each industry?

The amounts below are gross hourly rates, meaning before tax deductions. The net amount depends, among other things, on your skattekort (tax card), annual income and available deductions.

Most rates applicable in 2026 were introduced on 15 June 2025. They are therefore rates that apply in 2026, rather than rates introduced this year. The new development in 2026 is that the automotive industry has been covered by the statutory minimum since 15 June 2026.

For tourist passenger transport, the regulation states explicitly:

Arbeidstakere som utfører arbeid i henhold til § 2, skal minst ha en lønn per time på kroner 218,62.

What does this mean in practice? If you provide transport services covered by this regulation, your employer must pay you at least NOK 218.62 gross for every hour worked. An employment contract cannot validly set a lower rate.

Supplements, exceptions and changes applicable in 2026

The hourly rate alone does not always settle the full calculation. In several industries, the employer must add supplements for shift work, night work, weekend work, overtime or assignments requiring an overnight stay away from the permanent workplace.

The Norwegian Working Environment Act sets out the general rule on overtime:

For overtidsarbeid skal det betales et tillegg til den lønn arbeidstakeren har for tilsvarende arbeid i den alminnelige arbeidstiden. Tillegget skal være minst 40 prosent.

What does this mean in practice? For statutory overtime, you must be paid your normal salary plus a supplement of at least 40%. If an industry regulation or collective agreement provides for 50% or 100%, the employer must apply the more favourable rate. We describe the detailed rules in our article How is overtime paid in Norway? Mertid and overtid.

Automotive industry

The rates cover, among other things, repairs, servicing, maintenance, painting, bodywork and warehouse work. They do not cover businesses primarily engaged in:

• buying and selling vehicles,
• replacing and repairing windscreens,
• operating petrol stations.

The exclusion for petrol stations does not apply to a legally separate department performing work covered by the regulation. The employer must provide suitable workwear and protective footwear free of charge.

Construction and vocational qualifications

The rate of NOK 264.32/h applies to an employee with appropriate qualifications. A foreign certificate may be treated as equivalent to a Norwegian one after formal recognition. If you need help with your documents, we will be happy to handle the process: Diploma recognition - NOKUT.

Freight transport and multi-day trips

The rate of NOK 229.00/h applies to drivers carrying out road transport using a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of more than 2.5 tonnes. It does not cover the transport of a company's own goods by its employees.

For multi-day routes, every full day between the day the journey begins and ends must be paid for as at least 7.5 hours. Per diem allowance is a separate reimbursement of expenses and does not replace pay.

Fish processing after 3 August 2026

In fish processing, rates of NOK 240.96/h for a skilled worker and NOK 225.96/h for a production worker applied until 3 August 2026.

From that date, the regulation ceased to have effect. As of 23 October 2026, there is no statutory minimum rate in this industry. Pay therefore depends on the employment contract or collective agreement. A new regulation was still under consideration on that date.

Travel costs and other benefits

Reimbursement of actual expenses, such as travel, meals and accommodation, cannot be included in the minimum wage. An employer therefore cannot report a low salary and make it up to the required rate using per diem allowance.

In hotels and hospitality, tips may be included in pay only if the employer reports them and includes them in the basis for tax, contributions and feriepenger. There is no statutory night or weekend supplement in this industry unless it results from a contract or collective agreement.

How can you check your pay and respond to an underpaid rate?

Compare your contract, working time records and payslip. The payroll document should show, among other things, gross pay, tax, other deductions and the net amount.

In particular, check:

• the number of regular working hours,
• the number of overtime hours,
• the hourly rate applied,
• night, shift and industry supplements,
• reimbursement for travel, meals and accommodation,
• deductions from pay.

If your employer pays too little, report the difference in writing and keep your contract, schedules, hour records, payslips and bank statements. We outline the exact procedure in our article What should you do if an employer in Norway does not pay your salary?

You do not have to prepare the calculation and letter yourself. We can help you recover outstanding pay through our debt recovery service from a former employer.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

• In 2026, statutory minimum rates apply in nine industries, and their level depends on the type of work, age, experience and qualifications.
• The rates range from NOK 142.58/h for the youngest hotel and hospitality workers to NOK 270.45/h for a qualified employee in the electrical industry.
• Per diem allowances and expense reimbursements do not replace pay, and mandatory supplements must be added in accordance with the rules applicable to the relevant industry.
• From 3 August 2026, there has been no statutory minimum rate in fish processing, as of 23 October 2026.

If you need help checking the minimum wage or recovering outstanding pay, call us: +47 21 38 38 21. We will help you determine whether your employer has calculated your work correctly.

Article author: Marcin - marcin@efirma.no