If you are considering housekeeping work in Norway, you are looking at a job that is steady, respected, and in demand year-round. Housekeepers are employed by hotels and guesthouses, facility-management and cleaning companies, as well as private households and short-term rental hosts. Norwegian workplaces value order and safety, and housekeeping is a textbook example of that culture in practice.
Short answer: Most housekeepers in Norway earn a gross hourly wage in the range of 215 to 240 NOK, which translates to roughly 35,000 to 39,000 NOK per month in a standard full-time job. With evening-weekend supplements, overtime, and seasonal peaks, many land between 420,000 and 500,000 NOK per year, sometimes higher in big cities or at premium properties.
Norwegian pay can look complex from the outside because of supplements and collective agreements. Once you know the basics, it is quite straightforward. Let’s take a deeper look at what affects a housekeeper’s salary, what you can expect in different parts of the country, and how to nudge your pay a bit higher.
How Pay Works For Housekeepers In Norway
Norway does not have a universal minimum wage. Instead, many industries have collective agreements or generally applied minimum rates that employers follow. Housekeeping jobs often sit inside two practical buckets: hotel housekeeping and contracted cleaning for commercial or private spaces. In both cases, hourly pay is the key figure. A standard full-time contract is usually 37.5 hours per week.
Employers typically pay on the 1st or 15th of the month, and you will receive a payslip showing base pay, supplements, pension savings, and any overtime. Taxes are deducted automatically according to your tax card.
Typical Salary Range You Can Expect
For a full-time role:
- Base hourly rate: about 215 to 240 NOK for most housekeepers.
- Monthly gross pay: base rate multiplied by 162.5 hours gives about 35,000 to 39,000 NOK.
- Annual gross pay: about 420,000 to 470,000 NOK before supplements and overtime.
Important: These are typical ranges. Premium hotels, high-cost regions, or roles with language and supervisory responsibilities can push pay higher. On the other end, small-town employers may sit closer to the lower end of the range, especially for entry-level hires.
Hourly Pay, Overtime, And Supplements
What pushes your pay up is not just the base rate. It is the supplements:
- Evening and night supplements: Work after normal hours often earns a fixed hourly add-on or a percentage on top of base pay.
- Weekend supplements: Saturdays and Sundays usually come with extra pay.
- Public holiday rates: These are higher, and some employers pay double time on key days.
- Overtime: Hours beyond your contract are compensated at a higher rate. Many hotels run overtime during peak seasons, and that is when monthly totals jump.
Rule of thumb: If your schedule includes evenings, weekends, or public holidays, your effective hourly rate can rise by several percent each month.
City-By-City Differences
Wages are influenced by local living costs and demand.
- Oslo, Bergen, Stavanger, and Trondheim: Expect the upper part of the range and better chances for overtime. Large conference hotels and international chains in these cities often pay a little more and offer clearer progression steps.
- Tourist hubs like Tromsø, Lofoten, Geiranger, and Flåm: Seasonal swings are strong. Summer and Northern Lights seasons increase the chance of overtime and weekend work, which boosts pay.
- Smaller towns and rural areas: Steadier schedules, fewer supplements, and pay closer to the mid-range.
Experience, Language, And Certifications
Housekeeping is a skill-based profession. Speed, consistency, and safety matter. Pay tends to lift with:
- Experience: After 1-2 seasons in a busy hotel, your pace improves, quality rises, and supervisors notice.
- Language skills: Basic Norwegian helps with safety briefings, teamwork, and understanding cleaning chemicals. English is widely used in hotels, but Norwegian opens doors to more responsibility.
- Courses and HSE knowledge: Training in cleaning techniques, chemical safety, and infection control will help you negotiate a higher rate or shift to better-paying roles like floor supervisor or public area specialist.
Full-Time, Part-Time, And Seasonal Setups
Norwegian employers are transparent about contract size. You will often see a percentage listed:
- 100 percent is full time at about 37.5 hours per week.
- 60 to 80 percent contracts are common in hotels, with the option to pick up extra shifts.
- Seasonal contracts run for summer or winter peaks. They can be intense but lucrative because of overtime and weekend premiums.
If flexibility matters to you, ask about the real average hours worked in the department, not just the contract percentage. Many departments have a steady stream of extra shifts.
Benefits That Add Real Value
Salary is only part of the picture in Norway. Look for:
- Holiday pay: Instead of paid vacation in the month you take off, you earn holiday pay throughout the year, typically 10.2 percent of last year’s earnings, or 12 percent if you have five weeks of vacation. This lands as a larger payout when you take summer holiday.
- Pension: Employers must contribute to an occupational pension. It is modest in housekeeping roles but still valuable over time.
- Sick pay and safety culture: Norway takes workplace health seriously. Employers supply protective gear, proper tools, and training. A safe workflow is not negotiable here, and that protects you physically and financially.
- Union representation: Many hotels and cleaning companies have active union branches. Collective agreements can secure pay steps, supplements, and predictable raises.
Sample Monthly Pay Scenarios
Here are simple, real-world style examples. Think of them as starting points:
- Standard hotel housekeeper in Bergen: 225 NOK base rate x 162.5 hours = about 36,500 NOK. Two weekend shifts and one public holiday could add 1,500 to 3,000 NOK, bringing the month to 38,000 to 39,500 NOK.
- Oslo city-center hotel with mixed shifts: 235 NOK base x 162.5 = 38,200 NOK. Add consistent evening and weekend supplements plus a few overtime hours and you might see 40,000 to 43,000 NOK.
- Seasonal role in Tromsø during Northern Lights: Base near 230 NOK. Heavy weekends and holiday peaks can lift total monthly gross into the low-to-mid 40,000s NOK for the busiest months.
Private Homes, Short-Term Rentals, And Agencies
Some housekeepers work for cleaning agencies serving private homes or Airbnb hosts, while others are booked directly by households. Pay here varies more, but hourly rates often sit similar to hotel housekeeping. Travel between jobs, cleaning supplies, and time buffers matter. If you are contracting directly:
- Clarify travel time and costs. In Norway, time is respected, and you should not lose out because of long commutes between addresses.
- Agree the standard of cleaning in writing. This reduces disputes and keeps your effective hourly rate healthy.
- Ask about keys, access, and insurance. Professional agencies handle this smoothly and often pay a touch less because they manage logistics. Private clients may pay more but expect flexibility.
Taxes And Take-Home Pay
Your net pay depends on your tax card, deductions, and whether you are a student, newcomer, or supporting dependents. Many full-time housekeepers end up with a net monthly pay that feels meaningfully lower than the gross because Norwegian taxes fund strong public services. The important thing is that your gross pay is consistent and transparent, and you can estimate your take-home once your tax card is set.
If you are new to Norway, apply for a tax card early. Without it, employers must withhold at a high provisional rate, which you will only reclaim later.
How To Nudge Your Pay Higher
From years on the ground here, a few things reliably help:
- Be fast and precise. Speed matters, but not at the cost of standards. Supervisors notice the rare person who can do both every day.
- Learn the language basics. Even simple Norwegian phrases and understanding safety terms make you more valuable.
- Volunteer for premium shifts strategically. A couple of weekends a month plus one evening block can lift your average pay without burning you out.
- Ask for a title bump. Public area specialist, minibar attendant, or room checker roles can come with small increases and steadier hours.
- Stay through a full season. Completing busy periods proves reliability and often unlocks a raise the following season.
What Employers Expect In Norway
Punctuality, teamwork, and respect for safety routines are non-negotiable. You will have a checklist for each room or area, clear timing targets, and proper tools. Never hesitate to ask for training on chemicals or equipment. A serious employer wants you to ask. If something is physically unsafe or too heavy, you are expected to speak up. That is the culture.
Getting Hired As A Foreigner
Plenty of housekeepers in Norway are international. Employers look for:
- Work rights sorted before you start.
- Basic English or Norwegian, ideally both in hotels.
- A CV that highlights speed and standards. Mention rooms per shift, public area routines, or training in infection control if you have it.
- References they can reach. In Norway, references carry real weight.
If you are aiming at hotels, applying directly to large chains in Oslo, Bergen, Tromsø, and Stavanger is a good route. For cleaning companies, check national providers with branches in your area. Seasonal destinations recruit heavily from late winter for summer and in late summer for the winter season.
Bottom Line
Most housekeepers in Norway earn about 215 to 240 NOK per hour, landing near 35,000 to 39,000 NOK per month in a standard full-time role. Supplements for evenings, weekends, and holidays can push that higher, particularly in cities and tourist hotspots. If you bring consistency, some basic Norwegian, and a willingness to take premium shifts now and then, you can sit at the upper end of the range and find stable, respectful work in a very Norwegian corner of hospitality.