According to a survey by a Japanese online job search resource Doda, the average annual salary in Japan is about 4.14 million yen. This corresponds to approximately € 33,540. The survey is based on data from 360,000 full-time employees of various companies aged 20 to 65 who registered for the Doda Japanese language service from September 2017 to August 2018. When calculating the average annual income, various factors were taken into account, including the scope of employment, type of work, region, and experience.

Top 5 Spheres with the Highest Wages in Japan  

1. The information technology (IT)

According to the survey, employees of the information technology and communications industry receive the highest average annual income of 4,61 million yen – € 37,802. It also recorded the highest average monthly income among the lower echelons (311 thousand yen – € 2,550), and the income of the management level was 517 thousand yen – € 4,240.

2. The industrial sector

With a slight lag behind the IT sphere, the industry follows with an average annual salary of 4,56 million yen – € 37,390. It is one of the foundations of the Japanese economy. Also in the industry field, a lot of foreigners work – their share is 4.17%.

3. Medicine and finance

Two traditionally high-income sectors are the third largest in terms of wages in the Japanese labor market: the medical industry and finance. The average annual income for the medical industry, which is 4,50 million yen – € 36,900, lagged behind revenues in information technology and manufacturing.

However, in the long run, medicine showed the highest monthly salary in a management position – 643 thousand yen – € 5,270. In the second place in terms of monthly income was the sector of information technology and communications with an income of 628 thousand yen – € 5,150. The salary of production managers was 625 thousand yen – € 5,125.

4. The real estate market

The average annual salary in construction and real estate is lower than in previous industries – 4,18 million yen – € 36,360. The highest income comes from working in real estate financing – an average of 4.86 million yen – € 39,850. The share of foreigners in this industry increases to 1.37%.

5. Media

The next largest industry in terms of wages is the media, the Internet, and advertising with an average annual salary of 4,12 million yen – € 33,785. The main sectors here are public relations and advertising agencies, with an annual income of 4,28 million yen – € 35,100. The share of foreigners in this industry is 2.63%.