Norway: how gross income changes with age
Median gross income in Norway rises steeply through the 20s and 30s and peaks in late middle age. New age-group comparisons from Statistics Norway data.
How much is a “good” income depends heavily on age. A 26-year-old earning NOK 800,000 is in the top 19% of their age group; a 50-year-old on the same income is only in the top 38%. The calculator now lets you compare Norwegian income with your own age group, using Statistics Norway’s table 06655 for 2024.
Income by age group
The table shows gross income before tax for residents with income in each group. The median is the middle person; “top 10% starts at” is the income needed to be in the highest-earning tenth of that age group.
| Age | Median gross income | Top 10% starts at | Share above NOK 1 million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17–24 | NOK 147,000 | NOK 522,000 | 0.6% |
| 25–34 | NOK 560,000 | NOK 953,000 | 7.2% |
| 35–44 | NOK 651,000 | NOK 1,440,000 | 17% |
| 45–54 | NOK 690,000 | NOK 1,640,000 | 22% |
| 55–66 | NOK 654,000 | NOK 1,620,000 | 20% |
| 67 and over | NOK 438,000 | NOK 837,000 | 5.7% |
Source: Statistics Norway (SSB), table 06655, income year 2024. Values are estimated within SSB’s income bands, so they are rounded.
What the numbers show
- The steep climb. Income rises fast after the student years: the median in the 25–34 group is several times that of 17–24-year-olds, many of whom study or work part-time.
- The peak. The highest medians are found between 35 and 66, where most people are in full-time work and at the top of their careers.
- Pensions flatten the curve. For people aged 67 and over, the median falls back, but the spread stays wide: some pensioners have substantial capital income, others live on the minimum pension.
- One million is rare at both ends. Earning more than NOK 1 million is unusual among the youngest and the oldest, but common enough in the middle age groups to be a realistic benchmark rather than an exception.
Gross income, not take-home pay
These are incomes before tax, including wages, business income, pensions, benefits and registered capital income. They are per person, not per household. If you compare your own number, use your gross income (bruttoinntekt), not alminnelig inntekt, which is income after deductions.
Try it
Choose Norway and Income in the calculator and pick your age group. Or see quick answers in Norwegian: Er 700 000 kr i inntekt mye?