At the median Japanese listed company, the average annual salary is ¥6.61M, across the 3,742 companies that report it in their annual securities reports (filed 2025-10 to 2026-09). Across all employers and occupations, MHLW's wage census puts estimated average annual pay at ¥5.46M (2025). By industry it runs from ¥9.56M in Marine transportation to ¥5.47M in Retail trade.
By industry: the median and the leader (33 TSE industries)
Industries where five or more companies report the figure. The leader is the highest own-company figure among companies with 300+ employees at the parent; figures a holding company reports for a subsidiary are left out.
By company size (parent-company employees)
| Employees | Median | Companies |
|---|---|---|
| Under 300 | ¥6.35M | 1,944 |
| 300–999 | ¥6.49M | 1,056 |
| 1,000–4,999 | ¥7.41M | 625 |
| 5,000+ | ¥8.37M | 117 |
Top 10 (Listed companies with 300+ employees at the parent company, so holding companies with a small, senior staff do not top the list. Average annual salary of the parent company's own employees, usually including bonuses and overtime)
| 1 | Keyence Corporation Electric appliances | ¥21.78M |
| 2 | Mitsubishi Corporation Wholesale trade | ¥21.13M |
| 3 | Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Wholesale trade | ¥20.59M |
| 4 | ITOCHU Corporation Wholesale trade | ¥19.91M |
| 5 | Lasertec corporation Electric appliances | ¥18.81M |
| 6 | Disco Corporation Machinery | ¥18.80M |
| 7 | Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd. Real estate | ¥18.55M |
| 8 | Sumitomo Corporation Wholesale trade | ¥18.40M |
| 9 | Daiwa Securities Group Inc. Securities & commodity futures | ¥17.93M |
| 10 | Marubeni Corporation Wholesale trade | ¥17.84M |
Every listed company and unlisted employer, quartiles by industry and size band, each company's percentile within its industry and up to three years of history, as Excel, CSV and a members' dashboard.
Free 30-company sampleSee the plansWhat the figure means
Annual securities reports give the average annual salary of the parent company's own employees, usually including bonuses and overtime. It is not a group-wide figure and not executive pay: a head office staffed mostly by career-track professionals reports a higher average than a company with large factory or store workforces. For pay by occupation, age and company size across all employers, see MHLW's wage census figures.
Questions
- What is the average salary in Japan?
- ¥6.61M at the median listed company (3,742 companies). Across all employers and occupations, estimated average annual pay is ¥5.46M (MHLW wage census 2025).
- Which industry is highest?
- Marine transportation, with a median of ¥9.56M. The lowest is Retail trade at ¥5.47M.
- Which company is highest?
- Keyence Corporation at ¥21.78M (Listed companies with 300+ employees at the parent company, so holding companies with a small, senior staff do not top the list. Average annual salary of the parent company's own employees, usually including bonuses and overtime).
- Is disclosure mandatory?
- Annual securities reports give the average annual salary of the parent company's own employees, usually including bonuses and overtime. It is not a group-wide figure and not executive pay: a head office staffed mostly by career-track professionals reports a higher average than a company with large factory or store workforces. For pay by occupation, age and company size across all employers, see MHLW's wage census figures.
- How do I compare my company with its industry?
- Every company page shows its industry median. Quartiles by industry and size band, each company's percentile within its industry, and the full table as Excel and CSV are in the paid plans.
Sources: each company's annual securities report (EDINET, filed 2025-10 to 2026-09), MHLW's Basic Survey on Wage Structure. Compiled by The Hardest Market; definitions and exclusions in the methodology.
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