Hiring in Norway: Employer Costs, Labor Laws and How to Hire

How to hire in Norway

Hiring in Norway comes down to two decisions: who you hire, and how you employ them.

1. Find the person. Write the role, set the salary against Norwegian pay levels, then source and interview candidates. You can run the search yourself with a job post, or use a placement service that delivers a shortlist.
2. Choose how to employ them. A Norwegian entity running payroll, an employer of record or a contractor agreement. Each option is explained below.
3. Make the offer. Every employee needs a written employment contract, and it has to meet the rules in the employment table above. Check whether a generally applicable collective agreement covers the role, as these set minimum pay in some sectors.

Your options for employing someone in Norway

• Norwegian entity: you register a company in Norway, run payroll and pay the employer contribution yourself. It suits a team of several people in Norway.
• Employer of record (EOR): a third-party provider becomes the legal employer and runs Norwegian payroll for a monthly fee per employee. Your company directs the work.
• Contractor: the person invoices you through their own business. The relationship has to be genuinely independent, or it can count as employment.

Euro Remote Talent does not employ people on your behalf. We handle the placement: we find and shortlist the candidate, and you employ them through the route that fits.

What an employee costs in Norway

The employer contribution (arbeidsgiveravgift) depends on the zone. Skatteetaten places each municipality in one of 7 zones, from 14.1% in zone I down to 0% in zone V. Take a salary of NOK 60,000 a month, or NOK 720,000 a year, in zone I. The employer pays:

• Employer contribution: NOK 720,000 x 14.1% = NOK 101,520

The employer's cost is NOK 821,520 a year, or NOK 68,460 a month. There is no ceiling: the 14.1% applies to all pay. The extra 5% contribution on high salaries was abolished from 1 January 2025. The employee pays a 7.6% national insurance contribution, or NOK 54,720.

Minimum wage and pay

Norway has no statutory minimum wage. Some sectors have minimum pay through generally applicable (extended) collective agreements, including construction, cleaning, hospitality, electrical work, road freight, agriculture and horticulture. There is no set minimum wage in other sectors. Average monthly earnings were NOK 62,070 per full-time job in 2025 and the median NOK 55,800, according to Statistics Norway (SSB). See our average salary in Norway page for pay by industry and sector.

Income tax in Norway

For 2026, tax on wages has 3 parts:

Ordinary income is pay after deductions: the standard deduction is 46% of wages, up to NOK 95,700, and the personal allowance is NOK 114,540. Bracket tax and the national insurance contribution are charged on gross pay. The top marginal rate on wages is 47.4%.

Work permits

• EU and EEA citizens: do not need a residence permit to work in Norway.
• Skilled workers from outside the EU and EEA: need a residence permit. The Directorate of Immigration (UDI) sets a salary level of NOK 624,700 a year for a master's degree and NOK 545,400 for a bachelor's degree. Pay must also meet the collective wage rate where one applies, or what is normal for the occupation and place.

Public holidays in 2027

Norway has 12 public holidays in 2027 on 11 dates, because Whit Monday and Constitution Day both fall on Monday 17 May. 6 of the dates are weekdays. See every date on our Norway public holidays 2027 page.

How Euro Remote Talent can help

We do placement. We source, screen and interview remote professionals across Europe, then deliver a shortlist of 3 candidates within 21 days for a flat $6,500, or your deposit back. Prefer to run the search yourself? Post a job for $299 and reach candidates who want to work remotely.

See how placement works, post a job or book a 30-minute call. Browse remote jobs in Norway to see who is hiring there now.