An Overview Of The Average Salary In Tokyo
Being one of the most modern and wealthiest cities in the world, Tokyo, the capital of Japan, has attracted more and more foreigners to relocate here. As it is very expensive to live in Tokyo, the city offers pretty high salaries. So, how much are you paid in Tokyo on average? Check this blog out to get an overview of the average salary in Tokyo.
1. What Is The Minimum Salary In Tokyo?
The minimum salary in Japan is calculated by hourly rates and it is different in each prefecture. Tokyo is the richest city in the country, so it also has the highest minimum hourly wage.
The minimum hourly wage in Tokyo in 2020 is ¥985, whereas Osaka and Kyoto have minimum hourly wages of 936 and 882 respectively. On the other hand, Okinawa has the lowest hourly wage, which is only at ¥762.
2. What Is The Average Salary In Tokyo?
It is not surprising that the average salary in Tokyo ranks the highest in Japan and one of the highest in the world. The average income in Tokyo for a full-time employee is ¥5,507,040 ($50,655) annually. This equals to a monthly average of ¥458,920 ($5,044).
The average salary in Tokyo ranks the highest in Japan and one of the highest in the world
SEE MORE:
3. Why Is The Average Salary In Tokyo Higher Than The National Average?
According to the statistics by the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (2018), Tokyo has the highest average salary among 47 prefectures in Japan. What’s more, its monthly average salary is even higher than the national average. The monthly average of Tokyo is ¥458,920, but that of Japan is only ¥361,593. This turns out the average salary in Tokyo is about 27% higher than the national average.
|
Average Monthly Salary by Prefecture in Japan (2018) |
|||
| Rank | Prefecture | Average Monthly Salary (JPY) |
Difference vs. National Average |
| All Japan | 361,593 | N/A | |
| 1 | Tokyo | 458,920 | 26.9% |
| 2 | Aichi | 393,155 | 8.7% |
| 3 | Osaka | 380,664 | 5.3% |
| 4 | Kanagawa | 372,140 | 2.9% |
| 5 | Shiga | 362,267 | 0.2% |
| 6 | Hiroshima | 357,044 | -1.3% |
| 7 | Tochigi | 356,075 | -1.5% |
| 8 | Okayama | 350,770 | -3.0% |
| 9 | Ibaraki | 349,238 | -3.4% |
| 10 | Ishikawa | 344,862 | -4.6% |
| 11 | Fukui | 344,788 | -4.6% |
| 12 | Fukuoka | 343,861 | -4.9% |
| 13 | Mie | 341,886 | -5.5% |
| 14 | Shizuoka | 340,847 | -5.7% |
| 15 | Nagano | 340,807 | -5.7% |
| 16 | Yamaguchi | 338,811 | -6.3% |
| 17 | Gunma | 337,348 | -6.7% |
| 18 | Toyama | 336,661 | -6.9% |
| 19 | Kyoto | 332,049 | -8.2% |
| 20 | Hyogo | 331,485 | -8.3% |
| 21 | Tokushima | 329,933 | -8.8% |
| 22 | Kagawa | 328,103 | -9.3% |
| 23 | Yamanashi | 327,638 | -9.4% |
| 24 | Fukushima | 326,084 | -9.8% |
| 25 | Gifu | 323,042 | -10.7% |
| 26 | Ehime | 322,165 | -10.9% |
| 27 | Kochi | 321,313 | -11.1% |
| 28 | Chiba | 318,346 | -12.0% |
| 29 | Oita | 316,584 | -12.4% |
| 30 | Kumamoto | 315,678 | -12.7% |
| 31 | Niigata | 315,548 | -12.7% |
| 32 | Miyagi | 315,453 | -12.8% |
| 33 | Tottori | 314,159 | -13.1% |
| 34 | Shimane | 313,725 | -13.2% |
| 35 | Wakayama | 309,987 | -14.3% |
| 36 | Yamagata | 306,152 | -15.3% |
| 37 | Saga | 304,464 | -15.8% |
| 38 | Nagasaki | 304,285 | -15.8% |
| 39 | Saitama | 300,332 | -16.9% |
| 40 | Nara | 298,363 | -17.5% |
| 41 | Miyazaki | 296,865 | -17.9% |
| 42 | Akita | 296,442 | -18.0% |
| 43 | Hokkaido | 295,020 | -18.4% |
| 44 | Iwate | 293,641 | -18.8% |
| 45 | Aomori | 281,820 | -22.1% |
| 46 | Okinawa | 280,554 | -22.4% |
| 47 | Kagoshima | 275,577 | -23.8% |
So, why is Tokyo average salary higher than the national average? Well, there are two main reasons for this. The first reason is that Tokyo houses a great number of companies. Another reason is there are many industries that pay higher than the average salaries here.
4. Average Salary In Tokyo By Industry
Of course, each industry offers its own salary, thus the average salary varies by industry.
|
Average Monthly Salary by Industry in Japan in JPY (2018) Source: Japan Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare |
||
|
Industry |
All Japan | Tokyo |
| 361,593 | 458,920 | |
| Finance and insurance | 509,218 | 669,691 |
| Electricity, gas, heat supply, water | 591,098 | 604,337 |
| Scientific research, professional and technical services | 534,184 | 581,971 |
| Manufacturing | 411,171 | 561,829 |
| Construction | 474,477 | 532,623 |
| Information and communications | 525,592 | 525,465 |
| Services (Overlapping industries) | 397,447 | 508,406 |
| Transport and postal activities | 362,713 | 489,237 |
| Real estate and goods rental and leasing | 391,964 | 477,700 |
| Wholesale and retail trade | 300,127 | 453,389 |
| Medical, health care and welfare | 341,353 | 349,431 |
| Services (Not otherwise categorized) | 241,938 | 309,774 |
| Living-related and personal services and amusement services | 213,999 | 244,100 |
| Accommodations, eating and drinking services | 152,983 | 185,344 |
As the statistics show, the top 10 highest paying industries in Tokyo are:
- Finance and insurance
- Electricity, gas, heat supply, water
- Scientific research, professional and technical services
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Information and communications
- Services (Overlapping industries)
- Transport and postal activities
- Real estate and goods rental and leasing
- Wholesale and retail trade
Especially if you work in finance and insurance, you can earn an average salary of ¥669,691 ($6,167) monthly.
Finance and insurance is the highest paying industry in Tokyo
5. Average Salary In Tokyo By Age
The average annual salary is not broken down for gender, but it varies by age group and there is a noticeable gender gap across age groups.
Below is data from a private survey conducted by a recruiting company (DODA) in 2017
|
Average Annual Salary in Japan by Age (2017) |
||||
| Age Group | Currency | Overall | Men | Women |
| 20s | JPY | 3,460,000 | 3,650,000 | 3,190,000 |
| USD | 30,893 | 32,589 | 28,482 | |
| 30s | JPY | 4,550,000 | 4,870,000 | 3,860,000 |
| USD | 40,625 | 43,482 | 34,464 | |
| 40s | JPY | 5,410,000 | 5,870,000 | 4,230,000 |
| USD | 48,304 | 52,411 | 37,768 | |
| 50s | JPY | 6,610,000 | 7,070,000 | 4,450,000 |
| USD | 59,018 | 63,125 | 39,732 | |
From the data you can see that a person in their twenties earns on average ¥3,460,000 a year. A man in this age group gains ¥3,650,000 for his average annual salary, while the average salary for a woman is ¥460,000 less, at ¥3,190,000.
6. Average Salary In Tokyo By Profession
Each profession offers its own salary for employees. Among 52 major professions in Tokyo, dentist is the best paying one with an average of $104,616 annually and waiter ranks the lowest, at only $14,620.
For more details about the average salary in Tokyo by profession, you can take a look at the salary rankings below:
| JOB TYPE | AVERAGE SALARY (USD) | SALARY RANKING COMPARED TO ALL CITIES |
| WAITER | $14,620 | 165/265 |
| CIVIL ENGINEER | $15,593 | 222/265 |
| INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER | $16,914 | 210/265 |
| CASHIER | $17,207 | 119/265 |
| CUSTOMER SUPPORT | $21,158 | 173/265 |
| INTERIOR DESIGNER | $25,434 | 149/265 |
| PROJECT MANAGER | $26,413 | 199/265 |
| POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER | $28,204 | 169/265 |
| ELECTRICAL ENGINEER | $28,689 | 179/265 |
| COPYWRITER | $28,840 | 145/265 |
| RECEPTIONIST | $29,139 | 41/265 |
| EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT | $30,081 | 147/265 |
| ARCHITECT | $30,950 | 161/265 |
| GRAPHIC DESIGNER | $33,697 | 101/265 |
| TEACHER | $35,190 | 108/265 |
| DATA ANALYST | $35,574 | 140/265 |
| ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT | $36,216 | 41/265 |
| CONTENT MARKETING | $36,706 | 93/265 |
| CHEF | $38,845 | 49/265 |
| NURSE | $39,258 | 97/265 |
| ACCOUNTANT | $40,567 | 122/265 |
| UX DESIGNER | $40,825 | 132/265 |
| ACCOUNT MANAGER | $41,382 | 132/265 |
| FINANCIAL ANALYST | $41,457 | 146/265 |
| LECTURER | $42,159 | 114/265 |
| CHEMICAL ENGINEER | $42,585 | 141/265 |
| BUSINESS ANALYST | $45,175 | 123/265 |
| SOFTWARE ENGINEER | $45,466 | 119/265 |
| MECHANICAL ENGINEER | $46,164 | 110/265 |
| RESEARCH SCIENTIST | $47,401 | 84/265 |
| HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER | $47,771 | 94/265 |
| BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT | $48,210 | 135/265 |
| MARKETING MANAGER | $48,293 | 103/265 |
| QA ENGINEER | $49,206 | 83/265 |
| FASHION DESIGNER | $50,794 | 27/265 |
| MOBILE DEVELOPER | $50,835 | 109/265 |
| WEB DESIGNER | $51,706 | 33/265 |
| SALES MANAGER | $54,869 | 72/265 |
| DATA SCIENTIST | $56,783 | 106/265 |
| OPERATIONS MANAGER | $57,770 | 76/265 |
| HARDWARE ENGINEER | $58,048 | 67/265 |
| WEB DEVELOPER | $58,751 | 42/265 |
| PRODUCT MANAGER | $60,384 | 97/265 |
| OFFICE MANAGER | $60,847 | 9/265 |
| IT MANAGER | $65,602 | 75/265 |
| FINANCE MANAGER | $71,105 | 63/265 |
| PHYSICIAN | $71,973 | 104/265 |
| SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR | $74,373 | 18/265 |
| C LEVEL EXECUTIVE | $77,620 | 170/265 |
| ATTORNEY | $84,530 | 38/265 |
| PHARMACIST | $89,079 | 43/265 |
| DENTIST | $104,616 | 65/265 |
7. Frequently Asked Questions
7.1. What Is The Average Income In Tokyo?
As mentioned above, the average income for a person working in Tokyo is ¥5,507,040 ($50,655) annually. This converts to a monthly average of ¥458,920 ($5,044).
7.2. What Is Good Salary In Tokyo?
For a single person in Tokyo, an annual salary of more than ¥4,500,000 is considered good. With this amount of money, you can have enough choices when you spend. You can go out and travel around the country and have some savings as well.
For families, beyond ¥6,000,000 a year would be good.
7.3. How Much Money Do You Need To Live Comfortably In Tokyo?
The cost of living in Tokyo for a single working person is averagely between ¥140,000 (US$1,268) and ¥194,000 (US$1,757) a month, including rent, food, discretionary spending, transportation, and taxes and insurance. Therefore, if you are a new graduate working in a Japanese company with an average monthly salary of approximately ¥250,000 before tax, your life can be liveable. However, that salary doesn’t leave much wriggle room. When you reach a higher stage in your career, which is mid-career, you can expect to earn around ¥500,000 per month. This allows you to live very comfortably and save quite a lot of money. Finally, if you get ¥1,000,000 per month or above at the executive level, you can enjoy quite a luxurious life in Tokyo.
7.4. What Is The Average Income For Japan?
According to a survey by DODA, a Japanese online job-search website, the average salary in Japan annually is around ¥4.14 million which equals to about US$37,800.
8. Conclusion
Now that you have known how much the average salary in Tokyo is. Hopefully, this location guide will help you in deciding whether to relocate to this modern city or not. However, you should remember that gaining a “good” salary also depends on several factors such as age, level of career, and profession.
