Job Discussion Forums

[annacam]

Hi All

The wage for a full time English conversation teacher seems to be about 250000 yen per month, on which you seem to be able to maintain a reasonable lifestyle and save a bit too. How does this compare to the Japanese average wage

[David W]

It's lower than average for university educated people in Japan but is of course higher than a lot of people get. I think it's a reasonable wage, especially if you are not in a big city or if you have little or no experience. The oppurtunities for earning up to double this are there though so I would look at the 250K as a starting point.

[Glenski]

A lot depends on the age of the Japanese, since wages are often age-based. This is one reason that it's important to state your birth date on a Japanese resume.

Sadly, most of the time foreigners don't have this age-based (and oftentimes even experience-based) rate of pay in Japan. Universities are a major exception.

[george printer]

I know assistant managers that are Japanese who work at AEON and get paid less then the foriegn teachers. The Japanese staff works longer hours and does not get long breaks. Is this normal?

What is the average wage in Japan? The economy is down but there are still people in all the stores buying fancy things. Do people not save money in Japan? From the internet I think the wage at and Eikaiwa is bad but when in Japan it seems better than anything advertized for Japanese nationals in the paper. Why?

George Printer

[mc]

Don't forget that full-time Japanese workers receive "luxury" bonuses twice a year. A regular factory worker (non-management) who brings home 220,000 yen/month after taxes can easily clear 550,000 (+ his/her regular monthly salary = 770,000) yen for each bonus period.

Of course the amount of the bonus varies from company to company, but the above illustrates the situation of a friend of mine who is a factory worker in the automotive industry here.

[Glenski]

Taken from the Labour Standards Office, Hokkaido:

"Although the Labour Standards Law does not prescribe the amouht of wages, the Minimum Wages Law is enacted to stablilize the workers' life."

"Minimum wages of Hokkaido since October 1, 1996:
4,780 yen for one day

Hourly workers: 598 yen for an hour"

"The amount of minimum wages is revised each year."


So, at roughly 5000 yen per day, let's calculate...
5000 x 5 days a week x 4 weeks a month = 100,000 yen per month. This is pretty much what your typical office lady gets. (My wife is Japanese and has done that kind of work.)

As mentioned in other posts, your age and position determine salaries, too. (Moreover, the LSL info adds this statement: "Minimum wages by industry are also fixed." I take this to mean that each industry has its own minimum.)