A moderate salary development in 2023

The growth in average salary in the private sector in 2023 was 4.8 percent, compared to 5.6 percent in 2022. This was slightly lower than Tekna had expected, especially considering that 2023 was a year of high inflation.

"There was a modest salary development for our members in 2023. There are indications of increasing uncertainty in the job market, even though the unemployment rate remains low. We see that more companies are cautious and holding back, while fewer people are changing jobs," says Tekna's President, Elisabet Haugsbø about the statistics.

• In the private sector, the growth in average salary was 4.8 percent, a decrease from 5.6 percent in 2022.
• In the public sector, the growth was 5.8 percent in 2023, compared to 4.4 percent in 2022.
• In the municipal sector, the growth was 6.3 percent, up from 4.8 percent in 2022.

Check where you stand: Tekna’s salary statistics.

The employer tax is starting to show

Haugsbø believes that the impact of the employer's tax, which affects employees with a salary above 850,000 Norwegian kroner, is starting to show.

"This tax on competence is now starting to manifest, and we are concerned about the consequences if the government does not remove this additional taxation," she says.

Haugsbø is also worried that company owners are now taking a larger share of the profits in companies at the expense of employees.

"If companies are doing well, employees should get their fair share. We will closely monitor the figures from the Technical Calculation Committee when they are available to see if owners are now taking an unreasonably large share of the profits. If so, this is not acceptable," says Haugsbø.

Higher growth for the public sekctor

In the public sector, the growth in 2023 was stronger than in the private sector. In the state, the growth was 5.8 percent, and in the municipality, it was 6.3 percent.

This pleases Haugsbø, who believes that salary development in these sectors are crucial for the state and municipality to compete for the right expertise.

"It is crucial that the public sector can recruit and retain expertise. To obtain that, salary must be used actively. Some of the growth in the public sector can also be explained by a catch-up after some challenging years," she says.

Haugsbø emphasizes the importance of local collective agreements in the public sector as well.

"This is crucial for municipalities to attract the necessary expertise to maintain the service level that the population expects," she said.

Good starting salary for newly graduates

Newly graduated Tekna members in the private sector had an average starting salary of 619,347 Norwegian kroner in 2023. In the state, it was 566,979 kroner, while in the municipalities, it was 611,272 kroner. "The starting salary for newly graduated individuals is good. There is strong competition to attract the best expertise, and we see that the public sector is not far behind the private sector in starting salaries," says Haugsbø.

Also read: Steep rise for young employees

Facts about Tekna's salary statistics:

• Tekna's salary statistics are published annually on tekna.no and provide an overview of the average salary level by graduation year among Tekna's members.
• The statistics form an important basis for the elected representatives and Tekna's work for the members' salary and working conditions.
• The salary statistics have been published every year since 1946. This year's statistics will be the 78th in a row.
• The survey measures the agreed annual salary and fixed allowances as of October 1, as well as gross paid bonus/commission in the last 12 months.
• 44,662 Tekna members responded to the survey. This year's response rate is 64 percent.