Norwegian Job Titles in English: 21 Common Jobs Translated

Norwegian job postings are full of titles with no obvious English equivalent. What is a *helsefagarbeider*? A *barnehageassistent*, a *lagermedarbeider*, a *renholder*? And when you write your CV for a Norwegian employer, which Norwegian title matches the job you did abroad?

The most reliable source is not a dictionary but the international occupational standard. Statistics Norway (SSB) classifies occupations under STYRK-08, which is based on ISCO-08 — the classification maintained by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Every occupation has an official English name there.

21 common jobs: Norwegian and English

Norwegian names from SSB (STYRK-08), English names from the ILO (ISCO-08). The standard uses plural group names; on a CV you write the singular.

Some names are long and stiff because they were built for statistics. Nobody writes "Cleaner and helper in offices, hotels and other establishments" on a CV — "Cleaner" is enough.

How to use the titles on your CV

Use the posting's title when there is one. If a Norwegian posting says *lagermedarbeider* and you did exactly that work, that is the word the recruiter and the applicant tracking system are looking for. The standard name is a safe starting point, not a requirement.

Write the Norwegian title in brackets when you apply in English to a Norwegian employer, at least for occupations with Norwegian training or approval: *Health care assistant (helsefagarbeider)*. That removes any doubt about which occupation you mean.

Do not upgrade the title in translation. "Assistant" does not become "manager", and "helper" does not become "specialist". Your title is the first thing checked against your references.

Regulated professions: the title follows the approval

For some occupations, the title is tied to approval in Norway. To work as a nurse (*sykepleier*) or healthcare assistant (*helsefagarbeider*), you need authorisation from the Norwegian Directorate of Health — including when your education is from abroad. If you have the education but not yet the authorisation, write the education as it is and the status of your application: *Nursing degree (Ukraine), authorisation application submitted 2025*. See nurse CV for Norway and healthcare assistant CV for Norway.

The other direction: your foreign title in Norwegian

If your title comes from another country, apply the same principle in reverse. Find the Norwegian occupation that describes what you actually did, and add one line about the employer: what kind of business it was and how large. A Norwegian reader does not know your company in Kraków or Kharkiv and will guess low without that line. See how it looks in Norwegian CV examples.

Frequently asked questions

What is helsefagarbeider in English? Under the international ISCO-08 standard: *health care assistant*. It is a Norwegian vocational qualification with a trade certificate and authorisation.

What is barnehageassistent in English? *Child care worker* — an assistant in a kindergarten. A trained kindergarten teacher (*barnehagelærer*) is an *early childhood educator*.

What is butikkmedarbeider in English? *Shop sales assistant*.

Should my whole CV be in English? That is a separate decision — see CV in Norwegian or English?