Tech careers: What jobs are in high demand in Norway?

Source: Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock

This Nordic country may have the best opportunities for your career in technology

Norway has been facing a talent shortage in the technology field. This is because the country has increasingly invested in the IT market and its current population (about 5.3 million inhabitants) is simply not enough to meet the demand for new businesses.

So we decided to take an in-depth look at this Nordic tech cluster to show you why your next career opportunity might be in Norway!

What are the main employment sources in Norway?

According to the World Bank (2019), the services sector is responsible for employing the majority of the country’s population, accounting for 78.54% of hiring; industry comes second with 19.42%; and in third comes the agriculture sector with 2.04%.

Norway has then shown a vocation for the supply chain market and is increasing digitization within its sectors. The country manages to create many opportunities derived from the petrochemical and energy sectors, generating a high reserve of IT services. This also opens up an excellent margin for more outsourcing contracts.

How easy is it to get a job in Norway?

It is not difficult to get hired in Norway as it has a low unemployment rate, and with the shift to remote work, international hiring has become more frequent. In February 2022, the rate stood at 3.1%, one of the best indexes among the countries in the Euro Area.

And according to the Eurostat report, Norway has outshined both the Euro Area and the European Union (EU). The percentage is so good that it surpasses even a country like the United States.

Is Norway good for tech jobs?

Norway is one of the hottest markets when it comes to technology jobs. We have identified five factors that can explain this case.

Tech Talent

It's no surprise that the high standard of living in Nordic countries attracts many immigrants. Therefore, it is to be expected that businesses have a powerful card up their sleeve when recruiting the best talent in the workforce.

And these countries also do not lag in terms of equity. According to the Economist, Norway is one of the best places to be part of the female workforce. Just behind Sweden, Iceland and Finland.

Source: Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock

Government Investments

The largest sovereign wealth fund in the world is from Norway. Last year, it achieved $177 billion in return on investment (the second-highest on record). Much of that amount was thanks to tech stocks, performing with a return of 30.2%.

This government's economic power guarantees extensive participation in financing local projects and companies. Not to mention the public services offered that raise the quality of the working environment in Norway.

A good example is the Norwegian government programme, Innovation Norway. The initiative aims to support startups and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) by offering financing, infrastructure, services and networking.

In 2020, 26% of the program's main line of financing was allocated to companies with less than five years of activity.

The Community

Norway is a country with a relatively small population. Therefore, its startup community is recognized for its robust network.

The exchange of experiences and constant communication in an environment of this profile becomes a competitive advantage for emerging companies.

Source: Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock

Green tech ecosystem

Norway is another one committed to migrating to a net-zero economy. This leads to a scenario of increasing investments in clean technologies.

The cleantech and climate tech sectors have responded to these expectations, attracting many investors and consolidating local startups into multinationals. Last year reached the best-closed deals mark.

The recent decade has seen a considerable increase in capital invested, with 2021 totaling around 3 billion funded.

What tech jobs are in-demand in Norway?

Norway has followed the example of other global tech clusters and recruited in-demand positions such as data scientists, cloud architects, and software engineers into its technology market.

According to IT consultancy firm Prolifics Testing, the most in-demand tech jobs in Norway are Software Engineers. This role is also one of the most sought after in several European countries such as Belgium, Austria and the Czech Republic.

To get a broad view of how the Norwegian market has attempted to fill these positions, check out the average salary of in-demand tech jobs below:

Tech jobs have undoubtedly been the biggest draw for the Norwegian job market. High salaries and the possibility of working remotely have been crucial in the decision-making process of IT professionals.

The skills in-demand

Every software developer must be trained with the most used languages in the market, such as Java and Python. But, of course, every local industry has its favorites.

A good way to anticipate this is to look at Norway's current market share. The graphic below contains data provided by HostAdvice featuring the languages with the most clients in Norway.

In addition, one of the things that can boost the search for talent with aforementioned skills is international hiring. According to DevSkiller, in its latest report, international hiring was the big trend of 2021. This possibility will undoubtedly attract many developers to the Norwegian market.

Is moving to Norway a good idea?

Norway is constantly praised for being a great country to live, and a good way to verify this is through the data provided by the United Nations.

The United Nations listed Norway as number one in its last Human Development Index ranking. The score is one of the main benchmarks in quality of life estimations in countries. It is based on the following indicators:

• Life expectancy at birth
• Expected years of schooling
• Mean years of schooling
• Gross National Income (GNI) per capita

It is impressive to see how the most celebrated countries regarding the quality of life (Switzerland, Germany and Australia) lag behind Norway, which only reinforces its current ability to attract those seeking better opportunities.

We have even prepared a comprehensive guide for workers interested in relocating to the Nordic country.

Want more insight into talent trends in the technology industry? Click the link below to download our latest whitepaper.

How can a foreigner get a job in Norway?

As mentioned, the unemployment rate is very low in Norway, so there is a full supply of job offers. The country is not very different from others in the Euro Area in terms of residency and work requirements. A residence permit to work is needed for those coming from outside the European Union.

Also, it is quite true to say that the majority of the country is fluent in English, so English speakers will have no problem communicating and looking for opportunities.

Is Norwegian hard to learn?

Learning a foreign language can be very intimidating sometimes, but the Norwegian language is easier than it looks, especially for those already fluent in English. This is because the Norse dialect shares the same ancestor as the English: the Old Germanic languages.

While English came from the western branch of the German mother tongue, the Scandinavian languages descended from what was spoken in North Germanic. Yet, today there are common words in Norwegian and modern English.

The Norwegian language also follows the subject-verb-object (SVO) structure, unlike other languages like Turkish which have their sentences built with the subject-object-verb (SOV) pattern.

Of course, initially, you will encounter some barriers, especially when trying to express something about an ongoing event — in Norwegian, there is no am/is/are -ing form, for this, you need to use the present and past tense.

But nonetheless, with a little practice, it is very likely that English speakers will be able to pick up the Norwegian language.

Source: Frame Stock Footage/Shutterstock

It's time to take the next step in your career

Today, you don't have to limit yourself to a single location when looking for your dream job. Today's market is willing to invest in the best tech talent, which opens up many possibilities, whether working remotely or in office.

We at Airswift can help you find the best opportunity for your career. With over 60 offices worldwide and 7,000 contractors, we can streamline the match between you and a great tech job in Norway.