Engineer Salary in Japan: Official Wage Data Explained (2026)
The most reliable answer to "how much do engineers earn in Japan?" comes from the government's Basic Survey on Wage Structure, published by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). In the 2025 survey, the average monthly scheduled wage for full-time workers was ¥340,600, and for graduate-school graduates it was ¥517,400. These are averages across all jobs, not only engineering.
This guide uses only official statistics. We do not publish "typical salary ranges" from job boards or rumours, because they are often out of date or based on a few posts. Instead, we explain what the official data says, what it does not include, and how to compare a real job offer.
All figures below are from the MHLW "2025 Basic Survey on Wage Structure" (results summary published 24 March 2026), unless stated otherwise.
Key takeaways
MHLW's average monthly scheduled wage for full-time workers in June 2025 was ¥340,600.
Graduate-school graduates averaged ¥517,400; university graduates ¥396,300.
Foreign workers in "professional and technical" statuses averaged ¥313,200, at an average age of 32.4.
These numbers exclude overtime pay and bonuses, and they are before tax and social insurance.
When you compare offers, check monthly base pay, bonus, overtime rules, allowances and contract type separately.
What does the official wage survey measure?
The survey measures "scheduled cash earnings" (shoteinai kyuyo): the fixed monthly pay set in the employment contract, before tax. It does not include overtime, night or holiday pay, or bonuses. This is important. Your real annual income can be higher than 12 times these numbers.
Survey detail | What it means |
|---|---|
Month surveyed | Pay for June 2025 |
Who is counted | Regular employees at private establishments with 10 or more regular employees |
Wage measure | Scheduled monthly pay, before income tax and social insurance |
Not included | Overtime, night work, holiday work, on-call duty and shift-work allowances, and bonuses |
"Full-time" (general workers) | Workers who are not short-time (part-time) workers |
Company size | Large: 1,000+ employees; medium: 100–999; small: 10–99 |
Source: MHLW, 2025 Basic Survey on Wage Structure.
What is the average salary in Japan by education?
Average monthly scheduled pay rises with education: graduate-school graduates averaged ¥517,400 per month in 2025, compared with ¥396,300 for university graduates. Many engineers in research and semiconductor fields have a master's or doctoral degree, so the graduate-school line is a useful reference.
Education (all ages, men and women) | Average monthly scheduled pay (2025) |
|---|---|
High school | ¥297,200 |
Vocational school | ¥313,700 |
College of technology / junior college | ¥321,200 |
University | ¥396,300 |
Graduate school | ¥517,400 |
Keep in mind: these are averages for all occupations and all ages. The average age of the graduate-school group was 42.5 years. A younger engineer will usually be below this figure.
How does salary change with age?
Pay in Japan usually rises with age and years of service. For graduate-school graduates, the average monthly scheduled pay was ¥335,000 at ages 25–29 and ¥553,700 at ages 40–44.
Age group | University graduates | Graduate-school graduates |
|---|---|---|
20–24 | ¥263,900 | ¥298,800 |
25–29 | ¥296,400 | ¥335,000 |
30–34 | ¥340,300 | ¥406,100 |
35–39 | ¥382,200 | ¥466,600 |
40–44 | ¥425,300 | ¥553,700 |
45–49 | ¥458,400 | ¥617,800 |
(Men and women combined, 2025 survey.)
Starting salaries for new graduates
For new graduates in the 2025 survey, average monthly scheduled pay was ¥262,300 for university graduates and ¥299,000 for graduate-school graduates. If you are mid-career, your experience should be reflected above these levels.
Does company size or industry change pay?
Yes. Larger companies pay more on average: ¥385,100 per month at large companies, compared with ¥305,600 at small companies (2025, all workers). Industry also matters.
Category (2025) | Average monthly scheduled pay |
|---|---|
Large companies (1,000+ employees) | ¥385,100 |
Medium companies (100–999) | ¥326,200 |
Small companies (10–99) | ¥305,600 |
Electricity, gas, heat supply and water | ¥444,000 |
Scientific research, professional and technical services | ¥440,300 |
Information and communications | ¥406,000 |
Manufacturing | ¥330,000 |
Tokyo (prefecture with the highest average) | ¥418,300 |
These are averages for all employees in each category, including non-engineers. Semiconductor manufacturing sits inside "manufacturing," which includes many very different businesses, so do not read the manufacturing figure as a semiconductor engineer salary.
Regular vs non-regular employment
The survey also compares "regular staff" (seishain) with other employees. Regular staff averaged ¥358,800 and non-regular staff averaged ¥241,700. "Non-regular" includes many types of contract and part-time-style work. It does not tell you what a specific dispatch or contract engineer earns, because pay depends on the role.
What do foreign workers earn in Japan?
The 2025 survey shows that foreign workers in "professional and technical" statuses (excluding Specified Skilled Worker) averaged ¥313,200 per month. This group includes Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, Highly Skilled Professional, Researcher, Professor and others.
Status of residence group (2025) | Average monthly scheduled pay | Average age |
|---|---|---|
All foreign workers | ¥254,300 | 32.5 |
Professional and technical (excluding Specified Skilled Worker) | ¥313,200 | 32.4 |
Specified Skilled Worker | ¥221,400 | 29.5 |
Status based on personal relationship (e.g., permanent resident) | ¥311,100 | 45.0 |
Technical Intern Training | ¥190,300 | 26.2 |
Why is the professional and technical average lower than the overall average of ¥340,600? One reason is age: this group's average age is 32.4, and its average length of service is 3.2 years. Japanese pay rises with age and service, so a younger group shows lower averages. Compare yourself with people of similar age and experience.
Equal pay is a visa requirement
For the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status, one of ISA's criteria is that you receive pay equal to or higher than what a Japanese person would receive for the same work. For Highly Skilled Professional (i)(b), your annual salary must be at least ¥3 million. These are minimum rules, not salary guides.
What is not in the average monthly wage?
Several important parts of pay are not in the "scheduled wage" figure. When you compare an offer with the statistics, add or check these items separately.
Item | What to ask |
|---|---|
Overtime pay | Is overtime paid by the hour? Is there "fixed overtime" (minashi zangyo) built into the salary? How many hours does it cover? |
Bonus | How many times a year? Is the amount fixed, or based on company results? Is it guaranteed in the first year? |
Allowances | Housing, commuting, family, shift, qualification allowances |
Night and holiday pay | For shift work in fabs or plants, check how night and holiday hours are paid |
Pay for dispatch roles | Hourly or monthly? Is pay continued between assignments? |
Raises | When and how is pay reviewed? |
Fixed overtime explained
Some Japanese contracts include a set number of overtime hours in the monthly salary. By law, the job information should show the base pay, the number of hours, the amount for those hours, and that extra overtime is paid on top. If the contract does not show this clearly, ask.
How should you compare a job offer with the statistics?
Compare like with like: monthly scheduled pay against monthly scheduled pay, at a similar age, education level and company size. Then add overtime, bonus and allowances separately to estimate your yearly income.
A simple method
Find the base monthly pay in your offer (exclude overtime and allowances).
Compare it with the table for your education and age group.
Add bonus (yearly), expected overtime and allowances separately.
Subtract tax and social insurance to estimate take-home pay. See take-home pay in Japan explained.
Check stability: contract type, renewal rules and what happens between projects.
Questions about dispatch (haken) offers
Many English-OK engineering roles are dispatch roles. You are employed by the dispatch agency and work at a client site. Ask:
Is pay monthly or hourly?
How often is the contract renewed, and what happens if the client project ends?
Do social insurance and paid leave continue while you are employed?
Dispatch contracts are often renewed every few months, and renewal depends on the client project. This worries many candidates. Under Japanese law, your social insurance continues while you are employed, and employers must follow rules on notice and on stating renewal conditions in writing. Read haken (dispatch) work in Japan explained before you decide.
Where can you find more detailed official salary data?
You can find occupation-level tables in the full survey results on e-Stat, the government's statistics portal. The full tables include occupations such as electrical and electronic engineers, and include annual bonus data. Occupation data has smaller samples, so treat it as a rough guide. Search "Basic Survey on Wage Structure" on e-Stat.
For trends in foreign employment, MHLW's report on foreign employment (as of end of October 2025) counted 2,571,037 foreign workers in Japan, of whom 865,588 held professional and technical statuses. See MHLW's foreign employment report.
How AGG can help
AGG (Awaji Global Gateway, a division of Fukuyoshi Inc.) lists English-OK engineering jobs in Japan in semiconductors, construction BIM/CAD, construction management, offshore wind, AI and IT. We show pay conditions in writing before you decide, and we explain base pay, overtime and bonus clearly. Many jobs are dispatch roles where you are employed by Fukuyoshi Inc. with social insurance. There are no agency fees for job seekers.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What is the average engineer salary in Japan?
The official MHLW survey does not give one "engineer" number in its summary, but it gives useful references. In June 2025, the average monthly scheduled wage for full-time workers was ¥340,600. University graduates averaged ¥396,300 and graduate-school graduates ¥517,400 (all ages, all jobs). These exclude overtime and bonuses. Occupation-level tables, including engineering occupations, are available in the full results on e-Stat.
Q. How much do foreigners earn in Japan on an engineer visa?
MHLW's 2025 survey groups foreign workers by status. Those in professional and technical statuses (excluding Specified Skilled Worker), which includes Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services, averaged ¥313,200 per month in scheduled pay. Their average age was 32.4, which partly explains why the figure is below the overall average. Pay depends strongly on age, experience, company size and role, and the figure excludes overtime and bonuses.
Q. Does the Japanese salary in statistics include bonus and overtime?
No. MHLW's headline "wage" in the Basic Survey on Wage Structure is scheduled monthly pay before tax. It excludes overtime, night and holiday pay, and bonuses. Many Japanese companies pay bonuses once or twice a year, so annual income can be noticeably higher than 12 times the monthly figure. Always check the bonus and overtime rules in your own offer, and ask whether any overtime is already included in the salary.
Q. What is a good starting salary for a master's or PhD graduate in Japan?
MHLW's 2025 survey shows that new graduates from graduate school averaged ¥299,000 per month in scheduled pay, and new university graduates ¥262,300. The survey does not separate master's and doctoral degrees. If you have research or work experience, your offer should reflect it. Compare offers with people of similar age and education, not with the overall average, and add bonus and overtime separately.
Q. Do big companies in Japan pay more than small companies?
On average, yes. In MHLW's 2025 survey, monthly scheduled pay was ¥385,100 at companies with 1,000 or more employees, ¥326,200 at companies with 100–999, and ¥305,600 at companies with 10–99. These averages include all jobs and all ages. Smaller companies can still pay well for specialist roles, and bonus levels also differ by company, so compare the actual offer in writing rather than relying on company size alone.
Q. Do foreigners have to be paid the same as Japanese workers?
For the Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services status, ISA requires pay equal to or higher than what a Japanese person would receive for the same work. ISA has published cases where an application was refused because a Japanese new graduate in the same role received more. Japanese labour law, including minimum wage and overtime rules, also applies regardless of nationality. If an offer seems low for the role, ask how it was set.
Q. Is salary in Tokyo higher than in other parts of Japan?
Yes, on average. In MHLW's 2025 survey, Tokyo had the highest average monthly scheduled pay of all prefectures, at ¥418,300, compared with a national average of ¥340,600 for full-time workers. Living costs, especially rent, are also higher in Tokyo. Some employers pay housing or regional allowances. Compare total pay, allowances and living costs together before you decide where to work.
Summary
Use official MHLW data, not rumours: full-time average was ¥340,600 per month in June 2025.
Graduate-school graduates averaged ¥517,400; pay rises with age and service.
Professional and technical foreign workers averaged ¥313,200 at an average age of 32.4.
Official averages exclude overtime and bonus and are before tax.
Compare offers like with like, then add bonus, overtime and allowances, and check contract stability.
See current pay conditions in our open engineering jobs, and apply if a role fits — there are no agency fees. Also read take-home pay in Japan explained and resident tax when changing jobs.
Reviewed by
Naoya Mitani — Head of Business Operations, Awaji Global Gateway (Fukuyoshi Inc.). Supports foreign engineers moving into jobs in Japan, including visa changes and onboarding.
