Engineering Jobs in Norway

Norway continues to improve its infrastructure. Professional problem-solvers are needed in all engineering disciplines.

As Norway begins to push hard into wind power, Norway’s oil and gas industry continues operating along with its substantial hydropower industry. Outside of energy, authorities are spending big on new roads, bridges and tunnels.

With so many projects on the go, Norway has a problem. There’s not enough qualified people among its relatively small population of 5.5 million people.

As such, the profession is one of the most diverse in Norway when it comes to the citizenship of the workforce.

Engineering disciplines needed in Norway

The energy industry (oil & gas, but also hydropower and wind) needs engineers of all disciplines. That includes petroleum subsea, mechanical, chemical, process, and project engineers, among many others.

Civil, construction and structural engineers are needed for energy but also for infrastructure projects. Project, safety, quality and process engineers are also needed in many industries.

If you're interested in hardware, software and embedded engineering, there's plenty of jobs available in the world of IoT. Companies working in this field within Norway include Nordic Semiconductor, Microchip Technology (formerly Atmel) and ARM.

We covered some of these areas in our recent post on Developer Jobs. But you'll find relevant information here too, so do keep reading!

What types of jobs are available?

As you can see, the demand for virtually all engineering disciplines is high. However, given the project nature of engineering, many jobs are time-limited in scope. That time can last many years of course, but fixed-term contracts are commonplace.

Depending on the employer, this could be a direct arrangement or via a third-party recruitment agency or consulting company. In the latter example, you become an employee of the consultancy and may be rotated into other roles in the future.

Read more: How to Find a Job in Norway

Full-time, permanent positions are also available, of course. However, employers are likely to look more favourably upon candidates with in-country work experience. So, even if you’re interested in a permanent role, don’t rule out temporary contracts to get your foot in the door.

Wondering what experience is required? Here’s some excerpts from recent job advertisements:

Who employs engineers?

This is largely industry dependent. Permanent roles will be advertised by the employer and possibly via a recruitment agency. Temporary roles will usually be filled by third-party agencies.

For the energy industry, major names such as Equinor and Aker Solutions always have roles available. They are advertised on their websites.

It’s worth getting yourself on the books of employment agencies too by sending your CV. Ask for a call to discuss any opportunities and the market conditions. If you’ve never worked in Norway before, other overseas experience is likely to be looked on favourably.

Leading agencies that proactively advertise such roles include Experis, part of the Manpower group. It’s also worth checking out smaller, specialised companies such as First Engineers.

How much do engineers get paid?

It’s well known that salaries in Norway are high relative to many other countries. This is especially true at the lower end of the scale. Well-paid engineers with many years of experience in the energy industry may not see too much of a difference.

Read more: Minimum Wage In Norway

In very broad terms, new graduates can expect an annual salary in the region of 450,000-500,000 Norwegian kroner for the early years of their career. With ten years experience salaries average around 660,000kr (public sector) and 780,000kr (private sector).

In the private sector, annual salaries in excess of one million Norwegian kroner are not uncommon for those in senior roles with many years of experience.

Trade unions and interest groups

With around 90,000 members, the Norwegian Society of Engineers and Technologists (NITO) is the largest organisation for engineers and technologists in Norway. Membership is available to those with Bachelor, Master or higher qualifications.

NITO is not a recruitment service, but does offer its members assistance in the job application process. This includes a critical review of CVs and application letters in relation to a job.

If you are coming from the academic side of engineering, Tekna is Norway’s largest community of academics in the fields of science and technology.