Opptjeningen

Opptjeningen is a Norwegian term used to describe the process of earning or accruing rights, benefits, or entitlements over time. It is most commonly encountered in the context of pensions, social security, and employment law, where an individual's duration of work and income influence future benefits.

In pension schemes, opptjening refers to how pension rights accumulate as a function of earnings and years of service. The total pension therefore depends on the length of a person’s working life and the income used to calculate the accrual. Governments and pension providers establish rules for how opptjening is calculated, including what counts as pensionable income and the minimum periods required to qualify.

In other parts of the social security system, opptjeningen determines eligibility for benefits such as unemployment insurance, sick pay, or disability benefits, and can affect the level of those benefits. The exact rules vary by country and program, but the general principle is that more time worked and higher earnings lead to greater entitlements.

Etymology: the noun originates from the verb opptjene, meaning “to earn” or “to accrue,” with the suffix -ingen forming an abstract noun. Related terms include opptjeningstid (accrual period), opptjeningsgrunnlag (basis for accrual), and other concepts used in pension and welfare systems.