About Japan Salary Insights

Working out what a job actually pays in Japan is harder than it should be. Job listings advertise what employers hope to offer, not what people are paid. Government statistics record actual wages, but they arrive as spreadsheets built for statisticians.

Japan Salary Insights makes that data searchable. We take the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Basic Survey on Wage Structure and reorganise it by occupation, so you can compare average salary in Japan across 145 jobs, 47 prefectures, and company sizes. Free, no sign-up, no limits.

Browse salaries by occupation →

Where Japan's Salary Data Comes From

All figures come from the Basic Survey on Wage Structure (賃金構造基本統計調査), conducted annually by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. It surveys establishments nationwide and records wages actually paid — not estimates, not job-listing ranges. This site presents a processed version of those published results.

  • 145 occupation categories
  • 47 prefectures plus national averages
  • Breakdowns by company size and gender

The figures on this site cover full-time regular workers (一般労働者) at firms with 10 or more employees. The survey is conducted each June. The survey and its published results are on the ministry's website.

How to Read Japanese Salary Figures

These are averages, not medians — weighted means computed by the ministry using grossing-up factors. A small number of high earners pulls an average upward, so the numbers often sit above what a typical worker in that job earns. All amounts are before tax.

  • Monthly gross — cash paid each month, including overtime and allowances. Called きまって支給する現金給与額 in the survey
  • Monthly base — the same figure with overtime excluded. It still includes allowances, so it is not 基本給 in the narrow sense
  • Annual bonus — total bonuses and special payments over the year

The annual salary figure is calculated by this site. The survey does not publish one.

monthly gross × 12 + annual bonus

The monthly figure is for June of the survey year. The bonus covers the previous calendar year. The monthly figure includes overtime and commuting allowance.

Disclaimer

Data on this site is for reference only and does not guarantee actual salaries. Individual pay varies considerably with experience, employer, and negotiation. We recommend consulting multiple sources when making career decisions.

Contact

Questions, or spotted an error in the data? Email contact@japansalary.com.