Ever wondered what the minimum wage in Japan is? Is it higher than the Brazilian salary? How does the Japanese salary work? Which job or job pays the most? In this article we will see everything about the salary in Japan.
Table of Content
How does the minimum wage work in Japan?
Unlike Brazil, the Japanese minimum wage is calculated by the hour. This amount can range from 600 to 1500 yen per hour, it all depends on the service, region, province, time of day and even gender.
In Japan the workload is 8 or 9 hours a day, and the worker receives 25% more than the overtime worked, for this reason many like to work overtime called zangyo [残業].
Thinking this way, what is the average salary in Japan? If we take the average of 850 yen per hour, working about 8 hours a day, 22 days a month, we will arrive at an approximate value of 150,000 yen, equivalent to 5,000 reais.
It is worth mentioning that this value is quite relative and should not be defined that way. Take Brazil as an example, despite the minimum wage being less than 1,000 reais, many earn 1,500, 2,000 and even 5,000 and are still classified as middle class. Likewise, Japanese earn 150,000, 200,000 and even more than 300,000 yen.
To reach the average of 250,000 yen a month is not that difficult, there are many jobs that pay around 1,200 an hour, but most of them are heavy. Many believe that the ideal salary is at least 200,000 yen.
Which regions have the best salary in Japan?
Most provinces leave as an average salary between 700 and 900 yen. Prefectures like Tokyo and Kagawa pay more than 900 yen an hour, while prefectures like Chiba, Saitama, Aichi, Osaka and Hyogo pay an average of 850 yen, while the rest are between 700 yen an hour.
Municipalities stipulate an average minimum wage to be paid for any job. If the employer is paying you less, you can appeal your rights and the employer can get a fine. For a better comparison, see the table below:
| Kanji | Province | Average in Yen |
| 北海道 | Hokkaido | 861 |
| 青森 | Aomori | 790 |
| 岩手 | Iwate | 790 |
| 宮城 | Miyagi | 824 |
| 秋田 | Akita | 790 |
| 山形 | Yamagata | 790 |
| 福島 | Fukushima | 798 |
| 茨城 | Ibaraki | 849 |
| 栃木 | Tochigi | 853 |
| 群馬 | Gunma | 835 |
| 埼玉 | Saitama | 926 |
| 千葉 | Chiba | 923 |
| 東京 | Tokyo | 1,013 |
| 神奈川 | Kanagawa | 1,011 |
| 新潟 | Niigata | 830 |
| 富山 | Toyama | 848 |
| 石川 | Ishikawa | 832 |
| 福井 | Fukui | 829 |
| 山梨 | Yamanashi | 837 |
| 長野 | Nagano | 848 |
| 岐阜 | Gifu | 851 |
| 静岡 | Shizuoka | 885 |
| 愛知 | Aichi | 926 |
| 三重 | Mie | 873 |
| 滋賀 | Shiga | 866 |
| 京都 | Kyoto | 909 |
| 大阪 | Osaka | 964 |
| 兵庫 | Hyogo | 899 |
| 奈良 | Nara | 837 |
| 和山 | Wayama | 830 |
| 鳥取 | Tottori | 790 |
| 島根 | Shimane | 790 |
| 岡山 | Okayama | 833 |
| 広島 | Hiroshima | 871 |
| 山口 | Yamaguchi | 829 |
| 徳島 | Tokushima | 793 |
| 香川 | Kagawa | 818 |
| 愛媛 | Ehime | 790 |
| 高知 | Kochi | 790 |
| 福岡 | Fukuoka | 841 |
| 佐賀 | Saga | 790 |
| 長崎 | Nagasaki | 790 |
| 熊本 | Kumamoto | 790 |
| 大分 | octa | 790 |
| 宮崎 | Miyazaki | 790 |
| 鹿児島 | Kagoshima | 790 |
| 沖縄 | Okinawa | 790 |
| All | Average wage | 901 |
Updated table in 2019/2020;
Is the Japanese salary enough to live in Japan?
It is noticeable that the highest salary is located in provinces with many industries, metropolises and a large population. Although the salary is high in these places, as a result the rent and cost of living are usually higher.
Don't worry, rent will never cost a minimum wage like in Brazil, you can find good apartments for up to 30,000 yen per month. And if you have a big family, it won't be more than 75,000.
If you are in doubt about the Japanese salary being enough for the cost of living, read some articles we wrote below:
- What is really expensive for the Japanese?
- Is it true that Japanese people work hard?
- Is the cost of living in Japan expensive? Should I complain and compare?
Which job pays the highest salary in Japan?
We can't talk about minimum wage without mentioning the highest paying jobs in Japan. Needless to say, actresses, executives, and famous people can earn up to 10 million yen a year. Still, some mangakas, animators, directors and other important positions in the media end up being paid little or even less than the average worker.
Doctors, professors and lawyers earn great salaries and are jobs that many young Japanese seek when attending college. Keep in mind that this is all relative. Below we will leave a table with a ranking of jobs that pay the highest salary. In the table below you will find the average annual salary and also the number of hours worked in the month with this service.
| Work / Employment / Occupation | Average hours per month | Annual Salary (Yen) |
| aircraft pilot | 138 | 17.121.000 |
| Doctor | 174 | 11.540.000 |
| Lawyer | 178 | 10.359.000 |
| College and university professor | 159 | 8.334.000 |
| Journalist | 182 | 8.137.000 |
| Dentist | 172 | 7.343.000 |
| public accountant | 179 | 7.163.000 |
| real estate appraiser | 168 | 7.089.000 |
| high school teacher | 165 | 7.064.000 |
| Driver (train) | 159 | 6.557.000 |
| first class architect | 177 | 6,375.000 |
| train conductor | 157 | 6.068.000 |
| Veterinarian | 184 | 6.058.000 |
| Scientific researcher | 165 | 5.998.000 |
| System engineer | 178 | 5.419.000 |
| professional engineer | 184 | 5.412.000 |
| Pharmaceutical | 171 | 5.312.000 |
| X-ray Clinic | 174 | 5.262.000 |
| Electricity worker generation or transformation | 178 | 5.195.000 |
| Ticket salesman and ticket examiner (train) | 179 | 5.166.000 |
| chemical analyst | 167 | 5.159.000 |
| car assembler | 180 | 5.088.000 |
| social security consultant | 170 | 5.085.000 |
| school teacher | 171 | 4.987.000 |
| longshoreman | 202 | 4.967.000 |
| Semiconductor chip manufacturer | 176 | 4.890.000 |
| Crane | 199 | 4.860.000 |
| Flight attendant | 151 | 4.780.000 |
| mechanical designer | 192 | 4.761.000 |
| car salesman | 179 | 4.760.000 |
| professional nurse | 164 | 4.730.000 |
| clinical examination technician | 173 | 4 684.000 |
| Casting of non-ferrous metals | 185 | 4,673.000 |
| Train driver | 185 | 4.645.000 |
| Chemical fiber spinning | 169 | 4 640.000 |
| drilling worker | 170 | 4.608.000 |
| driver, business | 208 | 4,551.000 |
| General chemistry | 175 | 4,506.000 |
| Electrician | 189 | 4.401.000 |
| Iron and steel tempering worker | 185 | 4.398.000 |
| glass extractor | 182 | 4.372.000 |
| dental technician | 191 | 4.317.000 |
| insurance company | 143 | 4.315.000 |
| Engineer | 184 | 4.305.000 |
| Welder | 198 | 4 299.000 |
| metal former | 196 | 4,261.000 |
| Computer programmer | 181 | 4.256.000 |
| Large truck driver, business | 216 | 4.242.000 |
| wood pattern maker | 181 | 4.234.000 |
| plumber | 195 | 4 208.000 |
| lathe operator | 203 | 4.176.000 |
| Machine inspect worker | 185 | 4.106.000 |
| auxiliary nurse | 165 | 4.088.000 |
| iron worker | 195 | 4,079.000 |
| construction machinery operator | 188 | 4.057.000 |
| car repair | 187 | 4,050.000 |
| Boiler | 178 | 4.036.000 |
| milling machine operator | 203 | 4.034.000 |
| electroplating worker | 199 | 4.030.000 |
| Heavy electrical equipment installer | 184 | 4,002.000 |
| Designer | 175 | 3 988.000 |
| machine assembler | 185 | 3 983.000 |
| School tutor or speaker | 178 | 3.964.000 |
| sheet metal worker | 203 | 3.960.000 |
| Carpenter | 177 | 3.940.000 |
| metal press machine operator | 192 | 3,906.000 |
| Physiotherapist or occupational therapist | 166 | 3 897.000 |
| plastic mold worker | 189 | 3.874.000 |
| scaffolding worker | 186 | 3,851.000 |
| indoor truck driver | 201 | 3.849.000 |
| electronic computer operator | 169 | 3.838.000 |
| form builder | 178 | 3.822.000 |
| Small or regular size truck driver | 215 | 3,787.000 |
| polisher | 186 | 3.741.000 |
| care manager | 170 | 3.723.000 |
| paper container manufacturer | 188 | 3 688.000 |
| Weaver | 190 | 3,661.000 |
| Metal materials inspecting worker | 179 | 3.620.000 |
| word processor operator | 172 | 3.618.000 |
| housewares seller | 166 | 3.606.000 |
| steel worker | 185 | 3,584.000 |
| Kindergarten teacher | 173 | 3.471.000 |
| Ceramics, ceramics and porcelain | 182 | 3.494.000 |
| lookout | 175 | 3,443.000 |
| Receptionist | 175 | 3.371.000 |
| joiner | 186 | 3 294.000 |
| Assembly of communication equipment | 181 | 3,252.000 |
| Seller | 168 | 3.221.000 |
| baker, confectioner | 194 | 3,108.000 |
| Cabby | 192 | 3,012.000 |
| Nursing Aid | 162 | 2.903.000 |
| Caretaker | 171 | 2.903.000 |
| waiter and waitress | 187 | 2.780.000 |
| Barber and Hairdresser | 185 | 2.627.000 |
| cashier, supermarket | 177 | 2.493.000 |
| Laundry | 184 | 2.389.000 |
| Chef | 186 | 2.380.000 |
| office cleaning | 175 | 2.347.000 |
| clothing manufacturer, sewing | 178 | 1.990.000 |