Norway truck driver salary in 2026: minimum wage, diett and net pay

The statutory minimum wage for truck drivers in Norway is 229 NOK per hour, according to the consolidated regulation text we checked on 2026-10-24 . That rate has applied since 2025-06-15, when it replaced 222 NOK, and the rule now covers vehicles over 2.5 t. This guide explains who the floor protects, how the 7.5-hour daily minimum and diett (the tax-free travel allowance) work, what a non-resident driver pays in PAYE tax, and what a month on the floor rate can look like in NOK.

What is the minimum salary for truck drivers in Norway in 2026?

The legal minimum is 229 NOK per hour of paid work for drivers of vehicles over 2.5 t. It sits in §3 of the regulation on partial general application of tariff agreements for road goods transport, published on Lovdata as FOR-2024-10-29-2601 . General application (allmenngjøring in Norwegian) means the minimum terms of a collective agreement become legally binding for everyone doing the covered work, whether or not their employer signed the agreement.

The amendment that set the current rate, FOR-2025-05-28-959 , entered into force on 2025-06-15. The haulier association NLF announced the same figure on 2025-06-06 . The original version of the regulation set 222 NOK from 2024-11-01, as the original-version view on Lovdata shows.

The step from 222 to 229 NOK is 7 NOK, or about 3.2%. Older figures still circulate on forum threads and recruiter pages, so a number below 229 NOK in an offer for a covered job is worth questioning.

Who does the Norwegian minimum wage cover?

The floor covers workers on vehicles over 2.5 t total weight who carry goods by road for hire. The wider scope is recent. Vehicles over 3.5 t have been covered since 2024-11-01, and the 2.5 to 3.5 t van segment since 2025-06-01, as §8 of the regulation sets out and NLF confirms for vans .

Three groups sit outside the rule under §2: transport of the employer's own goods, apprentices, and people in labour market measures. A second carve-out in §7 says the regulation does not apply where a worker's overall terms are more favourable under the governing agreement or law. In practice the 229 NOK floor is a floor on the whole package, not a cap.

Does the minimum wage apply to foreign and posted drivers?

For posted workers, the answer is yes in principle, but the road freight rules for drivers who only cross Norway are not settled in the sources we could read. A posted worker is an employee that a foreign employer sends temporarily to work in another country. Arbeidstilsynet's posted-workers page lists road freight with a vehicle over 3,500 kg among the sectors with a Norwegian minimum wage, and says posted workers have the same rights as Norwegian workers on holiday pay and working hours. That page uses 3,500 kg while the regulation itself uses 2.5 t from 2025-06-01, so the page may lag the regulation for vans.

We did not find any Arbeidstilsynet statement that says the floor applies to cabotage (domestic transport carried out by a foreign carrier), to international legs, or to transit drivers. Norway is outside the EU, and the EU Mobility Package posting rules do not apply there automatically. Do not assume that a driver on a Poland to Norway round trip is entitled to 229 NOK for the whole trip. Ask the employer in writing, and ask Arbeidstilsynet if the answer is unclear.

Entry formalities are a separate matter. Carriers moving goods into Norway also face customs pre-declaration duties, which we cover in our guide to Norway Digitoll for carriers . For border and haulage rules in the same region, see Norway haulage rules .

How does the 7.5-hour daily floor work on multi-day trips?

On a multi-day trip, no full day other than the start day and the end day may be paid for fewer than 7.5 hours. The rule is in §3 of the 2025 amendment , and it protects drivers from unpaid waiting and rest days in the middle of a trip.

Here is an illustrative case, based on our reading of the text. A driver leaves on Monday and returns on Friday. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday are full days in the middle. If the truck waits for a slot on Wednesday and the driver works only four hours, that day still counts as at least 7.5 hours: 7.5 x 229 NOK is 1,717.50 NOK. Across the three full middle days the minimum is 5,152.50 NOK before any supplement. Monday and Friday are paid by hours worked.

Payment timing is regulated too. Under §6, wages are due by the 20th of each month, and variable supplements are paid the following month. A driver who keeps a personal log of start times, end times and days away can compare it against the payslip each month. For a wider benchmark on hourly pay, see our overview of hourly pay across Europe .

How does diett work, and is it part of the salary?

Diett is the Norwegian per diem for travel days, and it is not part of wages. Under §5 of the regulation , a driver gets full diett for a full travel day, and a quarter of the diett rate for each started 6-hour period on other days. We have not verified how a part-day is classified in practice, so ask the employer to set out in writing how each day away is counted. The amount follows the tax-free rate approved by the authorities each year.

Because diett is an expense payment, it does not count toward the 229 NOK floor. Arbeidstilsynet says the same about expense reimbursements for posted workers : they are not wages. An employer cannot reach the minimum by relabelling part of the pay as diett.

We do not quote the 2026 NOK diett amounts here. The figures we saw came from search summaries, and we could not confirm them against the Skatteetaten rate regulation. Check the current rates there before you plan a budget.

How much tax does a non-resident driver pay in Norway?

A non-resident driver working for a Norwegian employer pays a flat 25% PAYE (pay-as-you-earn withholding tax, kildeskatt in Norwegian), including national insurance. Skatteetaten's guidelines say PAYE applies in principle to people who live abroad and work in Norway. The rate is lower if the person is exempt from the national insurance scheme. The employer withholds the tax, and the worker files no tax return.

This applies cleanly to a Norwegian employer. Whether it covers a driver paid by a foreign employer on short assignments was not established in the sources we read. Tax there usually turns on the tax treaty between the two countries and on where the employer sits. For that reason, the example below uses the narrow frame of a Norwegian employer and a non-resident driver.

What does a month on the minimum look like in NOK?

On the floor rate, a 37.5-hour week gives about 37,212 NOK gross a month and about 27,909 NOK after 25% PAYE. This example is illustrative arithmetic, not a sourced payslip. It assumes a Norwegian employer, a non-resident driver, and no other deductions.

A 37.5-hour week is 162.5 hours a month (37.5 x 52 ÷ 12). The second column shows a 40-hour week for comparison, which is 173.3 hours a month.

The figures leave out several items. Diett comes on top, tax-free and outside wages. Overtime, shift supplements and holiday pay are excluded, and any PAYE reduction for people exempt from national insurance is excluded too. We also give no EUR conversion, because we did not verify a dated exchange rate. Convert at your bank's rate on the day you are paid.

What sits above the minimum, and who checks it?

Most of the money above the floor comes from the contract and the applicable tariff agreement, not from the regulation. We do not publish a market range for monthly driver pay in Norway, because we found no credible 2026 source for one. For cross-country context, see our truck driver salary by country guide and the comparison of monthly driver pay in Europe .

What about overtime and tariff agreements?

The regulation text contains no overtime rule. Overtime supplements are not set by this regulation, and we have not verified the percentage, so check the Working Environment Act, the applicable tariff agreement and your contract. A tariff agreement such as the road freight agreement between NLF and the unions may set higher rates, but we could not confirm its 2026 details. Ask for the overtime rate in writing before you accept a job.

Who enforces the rules?

Arbeidstilsynet, the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, enforces the pay rules. Its posted-workers guidance says the employer must keep the contract, timesheets and payslips in Norway, and that anyone can report underpayment, anonymously if they prefer. Keep your own copies of timesheets and payslips as well.

One more compliance item for employers: Arbeidstilsynet's news item of 2025-12-01 says HMS cards (health, safety and environment cards) are required for goods transport by vehicle from 2026-01-01, vans included. Its posted-workers page gives 2026-07-01 for vehicles up to 2,500 kg, so confirm which date applies to your vehicle class.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage for truck drivers in Norway?

The minimum is 229 NOK per hour for drivers of vehicles over 2.5 t, per the consolidated text we checked on 2026-10-24. It has applied since 2025-06-15. Confirm it on Lovdata before signing a contract.

How much does a truck driver earn in Norway?

The legal floor on a 37.5-hour week is about 37,212 NOK gross a month, which is illustrative arithmetic only. We did not find a credible 2026 source for typical market pay, so we do not publish a range. Actual pay depends on the contract, the tariff agreement, overtime and diett.

Do foreign truck drivers get Norwegian minimum wage?

Posted workers in road freight are covered by Norwegian minimum wage rules in principle, according to Arbeidstilsynet. We found no source that confirms the floor for cabotage, international or transit drivers, so do not assume it. Ask the employer or Arbeidstilsynet for a written answer.

Is diett taxable in Norway?

Diett is paid at the tax-free rate approved by the authorities each year, and §5 of the regulation treats it as outside wages. We did not verify the 2026 NOK amounts, so check Skatteetaten's rate regulation before you rely on a figure.

How much tax do foreign workers pay in Norway?

Foreign workers who live abroad and work in Norway pay a flat 25% PAYE including national insurance, according to Skatteetaten. The rate is lower for people exempt from national insurance. Whether PAYE applies to a driver paid by a foreign employer depends on the tax treaty and the employer's location.

What is overtime pay in Norway?

The road freight regulation has no overtime rule. We have not verified the overtime percentage, so check the Working Environment Act, the applicable tariff agreement and your contract before you accept overtime hours.

Does the minimum wage apply to vans?

Yes, for vans from 2.5 to 3.5 t total weight since 2025-06-01, per §8 of the regulation and NLF. Vans in own-account transport of the employer's own goods are outside the rule. Check the HMS card rules for your vehicle class, because two Arbeidstilsynet pages give different start dates.

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