This is the new minimum wage in Norway

Yngvil Mortensen

foreignworkers@lomedia.no

A new minimum wage rate applies in industries where there is a high risk of employee exploitation.

The rate of pay was adjusted upwards effective from 15 June 2025.

It applies to personnel who are paid the minimum wage and are not already party to a collective agreement.

The new minimum wage rate applies to the following industries:

• The maritime construction industry

• Construction

• Cleaning

• Electrical trades

• Hotels, restaurants, and catering

• Freight shipment by road

• Passenger transport by tour bus

• Agriculture and horticulture

• Fisheries

Why is the minimum wage being increased?

The minimum wage is being increased because the collective agreements are being given general application.

This means that it will be against the law for an employer to pay lower wages or offer less favourable conditions than the legally-defined levels.

The maritime construction industry

A skilled worker must now be paid an hourly wage of at least:

216.79 kroner (previous rate: 211.79)

A skilled employee holds a trade or craft certificate or equivalent expertise in the trade in which the employee is working.

A semi-skilled worker must now be paid an hourly wage of at least:

207.14 kroner (previous rate: 202.14)

A semi-skilled worker is a person who has had sufficient practice to be able to operate machinery and equipment unsupervised and to perform other semi-skilled work required in the production process. (Must be at least 18 years of age.)

An unskilled labourer must now be paid an hourly wage of at least:

197.61 kroner (previous rate: 192.61)

If overnight stays are required employees must be paid the following allowances:

• 43.36 kroner for skilled workers (previous rate: 42.36)

• 41.43 kroner for semi-skilled workers (previous rate: 40.43)

• 39.52 kroner for unskilled workers (previous rate: 38.52)

Construction

Construction workers must now be paid an hourly wage of at least:

• 264.32 kroner for a skilled worker (previous rate 250.30)

A skilled employee holds a trade or craft certificate. Foreign trade certificates approved by NOKUT (the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education) are recognised as equivalent to Norwegian trade certificates.

• 239.61 kroner for unskilled workers with no prior experience of the industry (previous rate: 226.90)

• 249.00 kroner for unskilled workers with at least one year’s experience of the industry (previous rate: 235,80)

• 162.44 kroner for employees aged under 18 (previous rate: 153.83)

Cleaners

The minimum wages for cleaners are as follows:

• 236.54 kroner for cleaners (previous rate: 227.54)

• 185.55 kroner for cleaners aged under 18 (previous rate: 176.55)

Electrical trades

Skilled workers must be paid an hourly wage of at least 270.45 kroner (previous rate: 257.79)

Other workers must be paid an hourly wage of at least 241.77 an hour (previous rate: 229.11)

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Hotels, restaurants, catering

Personnel working in hotels, restaurants and catering must as a minimum be paid the following rates:

Young employees:

• Under 17 years of age: 142.58 kroner an hour (previous rate: 135.58)

• 17 years of age: 152.08 kroner an hour (previous rate: 145.08)

• 18 years of age: 166.34 kroner an hour (previous rate: 159.34)

Starting pay for employees aged over 20 or with four months’ practical experience after reaching the age of 18:

• 204.79 kroner an hour (previous rate: 197.79)

If employees stay overnight on company premises, the employer may deduct the following amounts before tax:

• 675.67 kroner per month for a single room (previous rate: 660.48)

• 439.46 kroner per month for a double room (previous rate: 429.58)

Freight shipment by road

Truck drivers must as a minimum receive the following hourly rates of pay:

• 229.00 kroner (222)

On trips extending over several days they must be paid for a minimum of 7.5 hours per day, except on the first and final days.

Passenger transport by tour bus

Drivers working on tour buses must as a minimum receive an hourly wage of:

• 218.62 kroner (previous rate: 213.62)

Agriculture and horticulture

Temporary and harvest workers must as a minimum receive the following hourly rates of pay:

• Under 18: At least 142.90 kroner an hour (previous rate: 135.90)

Employees aged over 18 are paid on the basis of seniority:

• Up to 12 weeks’ seniority: 162.90 kroner an hour (previous rate: 155.90)

• Between 12 weeks’ and six months’ seniority: 168.40 kroner an hour (previous rate: 161.40)

Permanent employees:

• Unskilled employees: 182.80 kroner an hour (previous rate: 175.80)

• Employees aged under 18 år: 152.40 kroner an hour (previous rate: 145.40)

Fisheries

Workers in the fishing industry must as a minimum receive the following hourly rates of pay:

• 240.96 kroner for skilled workers (previous rate: 231.15)

• 225.96 kroner for production workers (previous rate: 216.16)

Translated by Robert Lovering

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