Nurse Salary In Norway
The nurse salary in Norway is the highest one in Europe. The average nurse salary in Norway is about EUR 58,000 per year. The salaries of nurses in Norway are very high compared to other countries and it is one of the reasons why many nurses from other countries want to work there.
Nurses who have just graduated and do not have any experience can expect an initial salary of around NOK 225,000 annually. This amount will increase as they gain more experience and move up the ladder. Most Norwegian nurses work full-time so they get paid overtime if they work more than 40 hours per week.
Nurses who work full-time in Norway usually get 10 weeks of paid leave every year and they are allowed 30 days off per year without having to give any reason for taking time off from work.
Nurses Salary In Norway
A person working as a Nurse in Norway typically earns around 459,000 NOK per year. Salaries range from 211,000 NOK (lowest) to 729,000 NOK (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Nurse salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Nurse Salary Distribution in Norway
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
- Salary RangeNurse salaries in Norway range from 211,000 NOK per year (minimum salary) to 729,000 NOK per year (maximum salary).
- Median SalaryThe median salary is 495,000 NOK per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Nurse(s) are earning less than 495,000 NOK while the other half are earning more than 495,000 NOK. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
- PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Nurse(s) are earning less than 318,000 NOK while 75% of them are earning more than 318,000 NOK. Also from the diagram, 75% of Nurse(s) are earning less than 661,000 NOK while 25% are earning more than 661,000 NOK.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios.
Nurse Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Nurse salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Nurse with less than two years of experience makes approximately 239,000 NOK per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 320,000 NOK per year, 34% more than someone with less than two year’s experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 473,000 NOK per year, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
“ On average, a person’s salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark. ”
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.
Additionally, Nurse(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 576,000 NOK per year, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 628,000 NOK per year, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 680,000 NOK per year, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Nurse average salary change by experience in Norway
0 – 2 Years | 239,000 NOK | |
2 – 5 Years | +34% | 320,000 NOK |
5 – 10 Years | +48% | 473,000 NOK |
10 – 15 Years | +22% | 576,000 NOK |
15 – 20 Years | +9% | 628,000 NOK |
20+ Years | +8% | 680,000 NOK |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value