Jobs in Bergen

The bottom rate is set by law. In construction it is 239.61 NOK/h, 249.00 NOK/h after a year in the trade, and 264.32 NOK/h with a trade certificate.

Experienced trades working with our partners are on 270–300 NOK/h, about €25–€27 an hour. Overtime is at least +40 % by law, and holiday pay of 10.20 % comes on top.

I will not quote you a month. Pay is the rate times the hours you work, and the project sets the hours. One month runs long, the next one is winding down.

Vestland is short of people: in NAV's employer survey the region's companies reported 6,300 unfilled posts. Openings here come up through the year, not only over the summer.

The rain is the thing you adjust to first. Bergen is one of the wettest cities in Europe, and it is not cold rain, it is persistent rain. Locals do not treat it as bad weather. They are just dressed for it.

The city grew around its harbour. The wooden row at Bryggen has stood there since the Hanseatic merchants ran the northern fish trade out of it. It is on the UNESCO list now, and people still walk through it on their way to work.

Seven mountains ring the city and a funicular runs up one of them. The hiking starts at a tram stop, which is what most people here do with a day off.

North and east of town the fjords start, Sognefjord and Hardanger among them. They are a bus or a ferry away, so they end up being weekends rather than postcards.

About 280,000 people live here, but it behaves like a big town. You run into the same faces.

The employer usually arranges accommodation, and it is normally a room in shared housing. Budget €455-€500 a month; it is generally deducted from your pay.

In your first week you need a D-number and a tax card. Without the tax card the first payslip is taxed at 50 percent, and you get the difference back later, so it is worth doing straight away.

The Bybanen and the buses cover the city, and a monthly pass costs less than running a car and paying to park it. Work outside the city usually means employer transport.

Food costs more than you are used to. €300-€500 a month works if you cook. Kiosks and cafes eat a wage quickly.

A proper waterproof shell with layers under it matters more than a heavy winter coat. Buy it locally, where the choice is better and people know what holds up here.