Move to Norway from the EU: Tech Jobs & Salaries 2026
2026-10-11 · Petter Larsen
Moving to Norway from the EU as a software developer takes no work permit, only a police registration. And Norway pays: more than one in four developers with 3+ years of experience earn over €100,000.
- Work permit: not needed for EU/EEA citizens.
- Median developer salary: 867,000 NOK (€79,500) a year.
- €100k+: 28% of developers with 3+ years, 46% of seniors.
- Top 5%: 1,400,000 NOK (€128,400) a year or more.
- English-speaking jobs: 18% of tech job ads, mostly in Oslo.
How do you move to Norway as an EU citizen?
- Find a job, or come and look for up to six months.
- Start working right away. No approval needed.
- Register with the police within three months, with your ID and work contract. It's free and one-time.
- Get a Norwegian ID number if you're staying six months or more. You need it for a bank account, BankID and a doctor.
Family can join on the same terms, and Nordic citizens just report the move. See UDI's rules for EU/EEA workers.
Tip: Unemployed at home? The U2 form lets you keep your unemployment benefit for three to six months while you job hunt in Norway.
What is the average developer salary in Norway?
Median software developer salaries (kode24, 2025, 1,811 developers):
| Experience | Median salary |
|---|---|
| 0–2 years | 670,000 NOK (€61,500) |
| 3–7 years | 820,000 NOK (€75,200) |
| 8+ years | 1,050,000 NOK (€96,300) |
Add holiday pay, a 5–7% employer pension at many tech companies, five weeks of vacation and public healthcare. Effective tax is typically 27–35%.
How do you earn €100,000 as a developer in Norway?
€100,000 is about 1,090,000 NOK, and $100,000 about 960,000 NOK. Where you need to be:
| Experience | For $100k, be in the | For €100k, be in the |
|---|---|---|
| 3–7 years | top 20% | top 10% |
| 8+ years | top two-thirds | top half |
Then pick the right employer:
- Consultancies: 68% of senior consultants earn €100k+, against 35% in-house and 19% in the public sector.
- Oslo: 55% of senior developers there earn €100k+, against 39% elsewhere.
- Architecture: senior architects have a median of 1,225,000 NOK (€112,400).
Start with English-speaking tech jobs in Oslo.
How much do the top 5% of developers in Norway earn?
| Top earners | All developers | 3–7 years | 8+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 15% | 1,160,000 NOK (€106,400) | 988,000 NOK (€90,600) | 1,300,000 NOK (€119,200) |
| Top 10% | 1,250,000 NOK (€114,700) | 1,050,000 NOK (€96,300) | 1,400,000 NOK (€128,400) |
| Top 5% | 1,400,000 NOK (€128,400) | 1,150,000 NOK (€105,500) | 1,540,000 NOK (€141,300) |
The top 1% earn 1,850,000 NOK (€169,700) or more. Two in three top-5% earners are consultants, three in five work in Oslo, and almost half get a bonus. Levels.fyi shows the same: the top 10% of senior engineers make about 1,450,000 NOK including stock.
Can you get a tech job in Norway without speaking Norwegian?
Yes, if you target well. 18% of tech job ads in Norway are open to English speakers, and seniors get more exceptions. Startups rarely require Norwegian: see what startups in Norway hire for. Learning Norwegian opens up many more top-paying jobs over time.
What is it like to live and work in Norway?
- 37.5-hour weeks, and nobody stays late to look busy.
- High prices, especially rent in Oslo, but salaries keep up.
- A slow social start. Sports clubs and hobbies are the way in.
- EU rights carry over. Pension and social security periods count at home.
More in our guide to working in Norway.
FAQ
Do EU citizens need a work permit for Norway?
No. Norway is in the EEA, so EU/EEA and Swiss citizens only register with the police within three months.
Is Norway or Denmark better for a high developer salary?
Both are among Europe's best-paid. Danish salaries include pension and Norwegian ones don't. Compare in our guide to moving to Denmark from the EU.
Find English-speaking tech jobs in Norway on Nordic Tech Jobs.