Full-time workers in Wakayama earn ¥4.77m a year on average, 28th of 47. Its job-to-applicant ratio was 1.07 in September 2026, looser than Japan's 1.19. The minimum wage rose to ¥1,101 an hour for fiscal 2026, and the population has fallen 6.4% since 2020.
Pay in Wakayama
| Annual pay | Monthly | Bonus | Age | Tenure (yrs) | Overtime (h/mo) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | ¥4.77m | ¥0.33m | ¥0.81m | 45.2 | 12.9 | 10 |
| Men | ¥5.41m | ¥0.37m | ¥0.99m | 45.6 | 14.5 | 13 |
| Women | ¥3.74m | ¥0.27m | ¥0.53m | 44.6 | 10.4 | 6 |
| Japan (all) | ¥5.46m | ¥0.37m | ¥1.01m | 44.4 | 12.7 | 11 |
Women's average annual pay is 31% below men's here. This is a raw comparison that does not adjust for differences in age, tenure or job.
Pay by occupation (Japan)Take-home pay calculator
Hiring in Wakayama: the job-to-applicant ratio
The ratio counts job openings per job seeker at Hello Work; above 1.0 there are more openings than applicants and hiring is harder. Wakayama stood at 1.07 in September 2026, against 1.14 a year earlier.
Job-to-applicant ratio by prefecture and occupation
Minimum wage in Wakayama
Wakayama's regional minimum wage for fiscal 2026 is ¥1,101 an hour, up from ¥1,045, effective 3 October 2026. Japan's weighted average is ¥1,177.
Minimum wage in all 47 prefectures
People: population and foreign workers
| Population, 1 October 2025 | 863,757 | 40th of 47 |
| Population change, 2020–25 | −6.4% | 41st of 47 |
| Foreign workers | 6,808 | 43rd of 47 |
| Workplaces employing foreign workers | 1,264 |
Population by prefectureForeign workers in Japan
Employers headquartered in Wakayama
8 listed companies have their head office in Wakayama, and 159 unlisted employers with 101 or more staff report to MHLW's women's advancement database. We publish each one's pay, women in management and gender pay gap.
Unlisted employers in Wakayama
Elsewhere in Kansai
MieShigaKyotoOsakaHyogoNaraAll 47 prefectures
Sources: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025); MHLW Employment Referrals for General Workers (September 2026, seasonally adjusted, by workplace); MHLW regional minimum wages (fiscal 2026); MHLW report on the employment of foreign workers (as of 31 October 2025); Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2025 Population Census; MHLW women's advancement database. Compiled by The Hardest Market. Annual pay is monthly contractual pay × 12 plus annual bonuses, for full-time general workers.