Bødtker was manager for "Norsk Investment" from 1917 to 1923, and for "Andresens Bank" in 1919, and from 1920 for the combined "Forretningsbanken". He started his own banking company in 1923. Bødtker was board member of several companies, including "Union Co." from 1934, and "Forsikringsselskapet Fram" from 1937. He was board member of "Oslo Handelsstands Forening" from 1921 to 1924, and Finland's Honorary Consul to Oslo from 1934 to 1958. He was a passionate art collector, and collected a number of paintings, by artists such as Reidar Aulie, J. C. Dahl, Kai Fjell, Per Krohg and Edvard Munch. Of his large collection of modern art, eight of the paintings were testamentary donated to the National Gallery. He was a board member of the National Theatre for many years. Norway was invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany in 1940, and because the National Theatre board did not abide to the directions from the Nazi government, Bødtker, along with board members publisher Harald Grieg and professor of literature Francis Bull, was arrested in 1941. He was held at Grini concentration camp from August 1941 to July 1944.