> Source: https://coursetojob.com/countries/norway/ — updated 2026-09-26 · language: en > Markdown version of this CourseToJob page for AI agents. The HTML page is canonical. Data licence CC BY 4.0: cite the page URL and the original statistical source. Europe and Central Asia # Graduate jobs and salaries in Norway Updated September 26, 2026 Data years: 2024, 2025 [How we use data](https://coursetojob.com/methodology/) Quick answer In Norway, employees with tertiary education earned a median of €5,858 a month in 2025 (PPP$ 6,881) — +12% compared with all employees. Their unemployment rate was 2.5%, against 2.8% for all adults aged 25 and over (2025). Sources: ILOSTAT (ILO) · OECD - **+12%** degree premium: tertiary-educated vs all employees (2025) - **€5,858** median monthly pay with tertiary education (2025) - **2.5%** unemployment, tertiary-educated adults 25+ (all adults: 2.8%, 2025) ## Do graduates earn more in Norway? **Median monthly earnings by education level, Norway, 2025Employees, median monthly earnings. PPP$ adjusts for price differences between countries.** | Education level | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Basic education | €3,802 | 4,466 | -27% | | Intermediate education | €4,782 | 5,616 | -8% | | Advanced (tertiary) education | €5,858 | 6,881 | +12% | | All levels | €5,217 | 6,127 | — | The degree premium ranks 118 of 128 countries with data. That is below the Europe and Central Asia median of +25%. ### Earnings over time (PPP$ a month) Advanced (tertiary) educationAll levels PPP$ values are in current international dollars, so part of the rise reflects inflation. ### Earnings compared with upper secondary education (OECD) The OECD compares the earnings of adults aged 25–64 with each level of education to those who finished upper secondary school (= 100). Latest year: 2024. | Education level | Index (upper secondary = 100) | | --- | --- | | Short-cycle tertiary | 118 | | Bachelor's or equivalent | 106 | | Master's, doctoral or equivalent | 131 | | All tertiary | 118 | | Below upper secondary | 86 | Source: OECD, Education at a Glance. Full-time, full-year earners. ## Which occupations pay the most in Norway? Median monthly earnings by occupation group in 2025, from highest to lowest. Examples link to our career profiles. | Occupation group | Local currency a month | PPP$ a month | vs all employees | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Managers [Construction manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/construction-manager/), [Marketing manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/marketing-manager/), [Project manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/project-manager/), [Supply chain manager](https://coursetojob.com/careers/supply-chain-manager/) | €7,727 | 9,076 | +48% | | Technicians and associate professionals [IT support technician](https://coursetojob.com/careers/it-support-technician/), [Paramedic](https://coursetojob.com/careers/paramedic/), [Biomedical scientist](https://coursetojob.com/careers/biomedical-scientist/), [Paralegal](https://coursetojob.com/careers/paralegal/) | €5,954 | 6,993 | +14% | | Professionals [Software developer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/software-developer/), [Web developer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/web-developer/), [Data scientist](https://coursetojob.com/careers/data-scientist/), [Data analyst](https://coursetojob.com/careers/data-analyst/) | €5,833 | 6,851 | +12% | | Craft and related trades workers | €5,113 | 6,005 | -2% | | Plant and machine operators and assemblers | €4,877 | 5,728 | -7% | | Clerical support workers | €4,430 | 5,204 | -15% | | Service and sales workers [Police officer](https://coursetojob.com/careers/police-officer/) | €3,513 | 4,126 | -33% | | Elementary occupations | €3,336 | 3,918 | -36% | | Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | €3,218 | 3,780 | -38% | | All occupations | €5,217 | 6,127 | — | ## Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Norway? **Unemployment rate by education level, 2025** | Education level | Adults 25+ | Young people 15–24 | | --- | --- | --- | | Basic education | 5.1% | 23.5% | | Intermediate education | 2.4% | 8.9% | | Advanced (tertiary) education | 2.5% | — | | All levels | 2.8% | 14.0% | Unemployment among tertiary-educated adults is the 25 lowest of 130 countries with data. The Europe and Central Asia median is 3.6%. ### Unemployment over time, adults 25+ Advanced (tertiary) educationAll levels ## Graduate employment by field of study in Norway Employment rate of adults aged 25–64 with tertiary education, by field of study (OECD, 2024). | Field of study | Employment rate | | --- | --- | | Services [Hospitality and tourism](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/hospitality-and-tourism/), [Sports science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/sports-science/) | 93.2% | | Information and communication technologies [Computer science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/computer-science/) | 92.1% | | Engineering, manufacturing and construction [Aerospace engineering](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/aerospace-engineering/), [Architecture](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/architecture/), [Chemical engineering](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/chemical-engineering/), [Civil engineering](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/civil-engineering/) | 91.9% | | Health and welfare [Biomedical science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/biomedical-science/), [Dentistry](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/dentistry/), [Medicine](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/medicine/), [Nursing](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/nursing/) | 91.0% | | Business, administration and law [Accounting and finance](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/accounting-and-finance/), [Business management](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/business-management/), [Law](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/law/), [Marketing](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/marketing/) | 90.8% | | Business and administration [Accounting and finance](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/accounting-and-finance/), [Business management](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/business-management/), [Marketing](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/marketing/) | 90.1% | | Education [Education](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/education/) | 89.9% | | Social sciences, journalism and information [Criminology](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/criminology/), [Economics](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/economics/), [Geography](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/geography/), [International relations](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/international-relations/) | 87.0% | | Arts [Design](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/design/), [Music](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/music/) | 86.8% | | Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics [Biology](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/biology/), [Chemistry](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/chemistry/), [Data science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/data-science/), [Environmental science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/environmental-science/) | 86.5% | | Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary [Agriculture](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/agriculture/), [Veterinary science](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/veterinary-science/) | 85.8% | | Humanities (except languages) [History](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/history/), [Philosophy](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/philosophy/) | 81.7% | | Arts and humanities [Design](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/design/), [English literature](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/english-literature/), [History](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/history/), [Modern languages](https://coursetojob.com/subjects/modern-languages/) | 80.4% | | All fields | 89.3% | ## Studying and working in Norway Rules on student visas, work after graduation and recognition of qualifications change often. Use the official sources below and check the date on any advice you read. - [Official study portal](https://studyinnorway.no/) [Guide: how to choose a country to study in](https://coursetojob.com/guides/study-abroad/) · [Guide: getting your degree recognised abroad](https://coursetojob.com/guides/degree-recognition-abroad/) ## Country context - **Population:** 5.6M (2025) - **GDP per person (PPP):** $104,044 (2025) - **Tertiary enrolment (gross):** 95.5% (2024) ## Questions about graduate jobs in Norway **Do graduates earn more than non-graduates in Norway?** According to the International Labour Organization, employees in Norway with tertiary education earned a median of €5,858 a month in 2025, compared with €5,217 for all employees — +12%. The degree premium ranks 118 of 128 countries with data. **What is the unemployment rate for graduates in Norway?** In 2025, the unemployment rate for adults aged 25 and over with tertiary education in Norway was 2.5%, compared with 2.8% for all adults. **Which jobs pay the most in Norway?** The best-paid occupation group in Norway in 2025 was “Managers”, with median monthly earnings of €7,727 (PPP$ 9,076). Professionals, the group that includes most graduate careers, earned a median of €5,833. **Where can I find official information about studying in Norway?** Start with the official study portal and immigration pages linked on this page. They set out entry requirements, student visas and any rights to work after graduating, which change more often than most guides are updated. ## Compare with other countries in Europe and Central Asia [Compare Norway side by side](https://coursetojob.com/compare/?c=NO,FI,IE) - **[Finland](https://coursetojob.com/countries/finland/)** — +17% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia - **[Ireland](https://coursetojob.com/countries/ireland/)** — +26% more for tertiary-educated employees (2021) Europe and Central Asia - **[Slovakia](https://coursetojob.com/countries/slovakia/)** — +25% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia - **[Denmark](https://coursetojob.com/countries/denmark/)** — +15% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia - **[Bulgaria](https://coursetojob.com/countries/bulgaria/)** — +53% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia - **[Serbia](https://coursetojob.com/countries/serbia/)** — +21% more for tertiary-educated employees (2025) Europe and Central Asia ## Sources 1. [ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — HIES - EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, 2025 2. [ILOSTAT — Median monthly earnings of employees by occupation](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — HIES - EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, 2025 3. [ILOSTAT — Unemployment rate by age and education](https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/) — LFS - EU Labour Force Survey, 2025 4. [OECD — Education at a Glance, labour-market outcomes](https://data-explorer.oecd.org/) — Relative earnings and employment by field of study 5. [World Bank — World Development Indicators](https://data.worldbank.org/country/no) — Population, GDP per person (PPP) and tertiary enrolment **How to cite this page:** CourseToJob (2026). Norway: graduate salaries, jobs and unemployment. https://coursetojob.com/countries/norway/ (accessed September 26, 2026) [Report a data or content issue](mailto:hello@elitedigitalagency.io?subject=Data%20issue%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fcoursetojob.com%2Fcountries%2Fnorway%2F) **Notes from the data source** - Age coverage - minimum age: 16 years old - Repository: Eurostat special tabulation ## Key facts - **Region:** Europe and Central Asia - **Currency:** EUR - **Degree premium:** +12% (2025) - **Unemployment, tertiary:** 2.5% (2025) - **Degree premium rank:** 118 of 128 **On this page** 1. Do graduates earn more in Norway? 2. Which occupations pay the most in Norway? 3. Are graduates less likely to be unemployed in Norway? 4. Studying and working in Norway Machine-readable: [JSON](https://coursetojob.com/api/v1/countries/no.json) · [Markdown](https://coursetojob.com/countries/norway.md)