If you are curious about what a warehouse assistant earns in Norway, you are not alone. Logistics and e-commerce have grown steadily here, and warehouses from Oslo to Tromsø are busier than ever. Pay is influenced by collective agreements, shift patterns, location, and your certifications. As a Norwegian who has worked with tourism and logistics partners around the country for years, I’ll walk you through what to expect and how to nudge your earnings upward.
Short answer: A typical full-time warehouse assistant in Norway earns around 40,000 to 47,000 NOK per month before tax, which is roughly 480,000 to 560,000 NOK per year, not counting overtime and allowances. Hourly rates most commonly fall between 200 and 270 NOK, with the lower end typical for newcomers and the higher end for experienced staff on evening or night shifts. With shift premiums and regular overtime during peak seasons, gross pay can climb above 600,000 NOK annually.
Let’s take a deeper dive into warehouse pay in Norway, how the numbers are built up, and the levers you can pull to increase your salary.
How Warehouse Salaries Are Structured in Norway
In Norway, many logistics and warehousing roles are covered by collective agreements between employer organizations and unions. Even when a company is not bound to a specific agreement, market rates tend to track those negotiated frameworks. The result is predictable base pay plus clear premiums for overtime, evening and night work, and weekend/holiday shifts.
Most employers present pay either as an hourly rate or a monthly salary. For full-time work at 37.5 hours per week, the monthly figure is simply the hourly rate multiplied by contracted hours, with allowances added on top. Many warehouses also use rotating shifts, and those schedules can be the difference between a decent paycheck and a very good one.
Typical Hourly Rates and Monthly Pay
For a general warehouse assistant (plukker/pakker, goods in/out, shelving, scanning):
- Entry-level: around 200 to 230 NOK per hour. That often translates to 35,000 to 40,000 NOK per month before tax on a standard day shift.
- Experienced (forklift certified, comfortable with WMS, faster pick rates): 230 to 250 NOK per hour, or roughly 40,000 to 43,000 NOK per month on day shifts.
- Shift work (evenings/nights) or roles with added responsibility (team lead, quality control, cold storage): 240 to 270 NOK per hour effective, which can push monthly pay towards 45,000 to 47,000 NOK or higher, even before overtime.
Location matters. Oslo and its commuter belt (Viken) generally pay at the higher end due to cost of living and competition for staff. Coastal industrial hubs linked to seafood and shipping also pay solid rates, especially for cold storage or export handling.
Add-Ons That Boost Your Pay
Your base rate is only one piece. Norway’s logistics sector typically includes:
- Evening and night premiums: These can lift your effective hourly rate by a meaningful margin. Night work in particular pays well.
- Weekend and holiday premiums: Sundays and public holidays are paid at higher rates. During the Black Friday to Christmas stretch, weekend shifts can significantly increase take-home pay.
- Overtime: Overtime is common in peak seasons. Overtime premiums vary by agreement, but expect substantial uplifts compared to base rate.
- Cold storage supplements: Working in refrigerated or frozen areas often comes with additional compensation.
- Skill premiums: Certifications such as forklift (truckførerbevis), reach truck, or high-bay operations can unlock higher brackets.
The practical takeaway: If you are flexible with evenings, nights, and weekends, and you collect a couple of key certifications, your real earnings can land well above the base salary range most people quote.
Annual Earnings With Realistic Scenarios
Here are rounded, real-world examples to set expectations:
- Standard day shift, no overtime: 210 NOK/hour × 37.5 hours × 52 weeks ≈ 410,000 NOK/year. Many employers pay slightly above this, plus holiday pay, so think 430,000 to 470,000 NOK all-in.
- Mixed shifts with some evenings/nights: Effective 235 to 245 NOK/hour can mean 460,000 to 520,000 NOK/year, before counting heavy seasonal overtime.
- Peak season overtime + shift premiums: It is common to see 520,000 to 620,000 NOK/year for workers who reliably pick up extra shifts in November–December and spring campaigns.
Remember, Norway adds holiday pay instead of regular pay for most of June. The standard holiday pay is 10.2 percent of your eligible earnings, and 12 percent if you have the extended five-week holiday arrangement. Employers with collective agreements typically follow those rules or better.
What You Actually Take Home After Tax
Norwegian taxes depend on your municipality, deductions, and whether you receive extra allowances. As a quick guideline, many full-time workers in this pay band see roughly 30 to 35 percent go to taxes and social contributions over the year. A gross salary of 45,000 NOK per month often lands around 29,000 to 31,000 NOK net, averaged across the year. In June you receive your holiday pay (which is taxed differently), and December often has reduced tax to balance the year. Your exact numbers will vary, but this gives a realistic feel for monthly budgeting.
Contract Types: Permanent, Temporary, and Seasonal
You will find three common arrangements:
- Permanent employee (fast ansatt): Stable monthly pay, predictable benefits, training opportunities, and internal progression. This is where many people want to land.
- Temporary via staffing agency: Agencies supply warehouse workers during peaks or to cover absences. Pay can be competitive, and you can test different workplaces. Good performance often turns into permanent offers.
- Seasonal contracts: Especially around late autumn and before Easter. Expect overtime and weekend work. These months can be excellent for building earnings and accumulating experience quickly.
Certifications That Raise Your Pay
If you want to push your warehouse assistant salary in Norway, invest in:
- Forklift license (truckførerbevis): The most direct route to a higher hourly rate. Employers notice.
- Reach truck/high-bay operations: Useful in modern, tall warehouses. Confidence at height is a plus.
- HSE courses and first aid: Safety roles and designated first-aiders often receive additional responsibility and better pay bands.
- WMS superuser skills: If you become the person others turn to for system issues, you are more likely to move into lead or coordinator roles.
Across Norway, reliability and speed matter. If you consistently hit pick rates and keep error rates low, supervisors will push to keep you and to adjust your pay accordingly.
Work Environment, Equipment, and Perks
Warehouses in Norway generally provide PPE, heated break rooms, and proper winter gear for loading docks. Many have canteens or subsidized meals, free coffee, and covered parking or bike storage. Public transport connections are best near large urban hubs, but many facilities are in logistics parks outside city centers. Ask about travel stipends or parking before you accept an offer, as commuting can affect both your costs and your quality of life.
Cold storage roles, common along the coast and in seafood hubs, pay well but require good clothing habits and safe working routines. If you handle food, expect strict hygiene rules.
Regional Differences Across Norway
- Oslo and Viken: Highest demand, competitive pay, many e-commerce hubs and 3PL providers. English is commonly used on the floor, especially in large, international companies.
- Bergen and Stavanger: Strong logistics linked to seafood and offshore. Pay is solid; cold storage competence is valued.
- Trondheim and Mid-Norway: Growing e-commerce logistics, distribution for central Norway. Good place to move from temporary roles into permanent.
- Northern Norway: Smaller market but seasonal spikes. Cold storage and export handling of fish products are significant. Employers often help with gear and training.
How to Find Warehouse Jobs and Negotiate Pay
Norwegians are practical about hiring. If your CV shows reliability and the right certifications, you will get calls. A simple plan:
- Get your forklift certification first. It sets the floor for your starting rate.
- Build a clean CV with clear bullet points: pick rates, WMS experience, equipment you’ve operated, shift flexibility, safety track record.
- Apply through staffing agencies and directly with logistics firms. Agencies can place you quickly, and direct applications can lead to better progression.
- When offered a contract, ask about shift premiums, overtime rules, and holiday pay. These can change the true value of the offer.
- If you have competing offers, you can negotiate on shift patterns rather than base rate. Evening/nights and weekends often move your annual earnings more than a small base increase.
One more tip from the floor: the November–December period is your proving ground. If you show up, move fast, and keep an eye on safety while others burn out, supervisors notice. That’s when permanent offers and better shifts tend to appear.
Is Norwegian Language Required?
For larger warehouses, English can be enough to start. Still, even basic Norwegian helps with safety briefings, signage, and teamwork. Picking up key phrases will make your days smoother and often opens the door to lead roles. Many companies support on-the-job language learning, and your colleagues will help if you show effort.
What “Good” Looks Like After 12 Months
If you play it well for a year in Norway:
- You have a forklift license and at least one additional competence (reach truck, high-bay, or cold storage).
- You are comfortable in the WMS and maybe act as a go-to for minor system issues.
- You’re trained for at least two shift patterns, so planners trust you with higher-premium lines.
- Your effective pay has pushed past 240 NOK/hour on average, sometimes more during peak.
- You get first pick when overtime is offered, which can lift your annual gross pay into the 550,000 to 620,000 NOK range in a busy year.
If you prefer life without nights and weekends, you can still earn a solid 450,000 to 520,000 NOK annually on day shifts with steady performance and a certification or two.
The Bottom Line for Warehouse Assistants in Norway
Most warehouse assistants in Norway land between 40,000 and 47,000 NOK per month before tax, with higher earnings for those who collect certifications and accept evening/night or weekend work. Reliability, safety, and flexibility are rewarded. If you want to stretch your pay, focus on forklift licensing, shift premiums, and seasonal overtime. That is the Norwegian logistics playbook, and it works.