 She has been a research fellow and researcher at Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) 1998–2003, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law at the University of Oslo, before joining the private Fafo Foundation where she was a researcher, research director and managing director for seven years until her appointment as a Professor of Criminology at the University of Oslo.Skilbrei's research has focused on prostitution and human trafficking.She has also done research on unskilled women in the workforce.