Key figures:
The average monthly wage for all salaried employees was NOK 36 700 in 2010.
Wage growth from 2009 to 2010 was 4 per cent on average, compared to 3.2 per cent in the previous year.
The highest paid 10 per cent in 2010 had an average monthly wage of NOK 71 400.
The lowest paid 10 per cent in 2010 had an average monthly wage of NOK 20 600.
Directors and chief executives had an average monthly wage of NOK 68 400 in 2010.
 
 
 
Explanation of terms
Wages or income?
How much do you earn? Is it your wages that are printed on your pay slip each month or your total income from last year? In everyday language, the terms wages and income are often confused, but in statistics they are two completely different concepts
  • Income is a broader term than wages. In addition to wages from employment, capital income and payments of housing benefit, child support, unemployment benefit, state pensions and supplementary benefit are also included, amongst others.

  • Wages, as measured by us, is limited to cash remuneration for services rendered, paid by the employer to the employee. Payments in kind, insurance, pension schemes, tax-free expenses arrangements etc. are therefore not included.

 
Wage statistics
The wage statistics provide an annual overview as well as more detailed data on average monthly wages distributed by industry, function (occupation), sex, age and education. The wage statistics also consist of quarterly economic cycle statistics, in order to show the wage development between two annual statistics. The wage statistics are supplemented with statistics that provide an overview of employers' total labour costs.

 
 
Where do the figures come from?
Private sector:
A sample survey that covers approximately 50 per cent of all employees. The statistics are delivered on paper form, as an extract from a wage payment system, or electronically via Altinn.
Public sector:
A total count of all employees of the central government, municipalities and publicly maintained schools and hospitals Altinn.

 
Focus on: .
Wages
Wages for services rendered is the most important source of income for most of the population in Norway. Wage developments are therefore very significant with regard to individuals' and households' income and living conditions.
 
  • Since the start of the 1990s, wage developments have been stronger than price developments in Norway. We have therefore had a real wage growth throughout this period.
  • Wage bills make up a major part of a company's production costs, and thus affect the measure of inflation, export prices and international competitive power.
  • In 2010, women earned an average of 85 per cent of men's earnings.
 
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New statistics

Wage statistics. Employees in transport and communication
Average monthly earnings up NOK 1 300 in transport and storage  (09.02.2012)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in central government
Monthly earnings up NOK 1 500  (08.02.2012)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in manufacturing
Average monthly earnings up NOK 1 800  (24.01.2012)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in information and communication
Earnings up NOK 2 400 in information and communication   (19.01.2012)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in oil and gas extraction, mining
Wages up NOK 2 800 in the oil industry  (14.12.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in domestic trade, repair of goods
Monthly earnings up NOK 1 100  (14.12.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in health enterprises
Monthly earnings up NOK 2 000   (08.12.2011)  ->

Labour cost index
Increased labour costs in construction   (06.12.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in real estate, business services
Monthly earnings up NOK 1 000  (01.12.2011)  ->

Quarterly index on earnings
Basic salaries up 2.1 per cent in manufacturing  (29.11.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in sale and management of real estate
Average monthly earnings up NOK 2 300   (24.11.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in professional, scientific and technical activities
Average monthly earnings up NOK 2 200  (23.11.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in financial intermediation
Average monthly earnings up NOK 3 600  (16.11.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. All employees
Monthly earnings up 4 per cent  (31.03.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in water, sewerage, waste, materials recovery
Monthly earnings up NOK 1 200  (18.03.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in electricity supply
Wages increased by NOK 1 500   (17.03.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in municipalities and county authorities
Monthly earnings up 5 per cent   (16.03.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in arts, entertainment and recreation
Monthly earnings up by NOK 1 000  (11.03.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in personal service activities
Monthly earnings up NOK 1 000  (09.03.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in private education
Monthly earnings up NOK 1 500   (04.03.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in hotels and restaurants
Wages up NOK 900   (03.03.2011)  ->

Earnings in private health and social services
Monthly earnings up NOK 1 200  (25.02.2011)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in operation of fish farms
Monthly earnings up 3.2 per cent  (17.02.2011)  ->

Wagesums according to the register of end of the year certificates
Compensation in cash up 3.3 per cent  (30.06.2010)  ->

Wage statistics. Labour costs
26 per cent increase in four years  (17.02.2010)  ->

Wage statistics. Employees in construction
Tables and charts 
Create your own tables .
Tables from the Statistical Yearbook .
Tables from Historical statistics 

Publications and articles
Wage Statistics (NOS)
Quality Report on the Norwegian Structure of Earnings Survey 2006 (Rapport)

Other statistics in Statistics Norway
Personal economy and housing conditions .
Labour disputes .
Unemployment .
Labour force participation .
Ecomomic trends .
Industrial activities .
Population and Housing Census .
Members of employer and trade union organizations .

International links
Eurostat 
International Labour Organisation 
OECD  
US. Bureau of Labor Statistics 
UBS. Prices and earnings 
Statistics Sweden 
Statistics Denmark 
StatNord 
Statistics Finland 
Statistics Iceland 
Statistics Iceland 

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