Job Discussion Forums

MrCAPiTUL · Joined: 06 Feb 2006 Posts: 232 Location: Taipei, Taiwan

I guess the bottom line is this:

Are you happy?

Money isn't everything. It is important, yes! I will not say you can loaf about without it. You need it to survive in most cases. But, it isn't the end-all, be-all. Unless you are moving from abject poverty to middle class, the amount of money you have doesn't increase your overall happiness. Multiple studies have shown this.

You may make less in Japan - but are you happy? I know Italy pays like dirt compared to most advanced western industrialized nations. Yet - people are very happy there. There money goes as far as they need/want it to go.

Lyrajean · Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 109 Location: going to Okinawa

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

I think the average wage in Japan will continue? to go down. I've taught many business classes and was pretty gob smacked by some of the wages pretty ordinary but senior Japanese salary men were on. BUT talk to the younger guys and they are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Crap money for long hours. And they wont be getting the golden carrot waved in front of them as they get older either.

With the economy, demographics, debt etc I can't see how salaries in Japan aren't in terminal decline. Ultimately to be little more than other Asian countries. Mind you, I thought Britain was doomed in the 1980's and look what happened there. Smile

shuize · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 1270

shuize · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 1270

Deleted.

madeira · Joined: 13 Jun 2004 Posts: 182 Location: Oppama

Perhaps off-topic, but my Japanese family are astounded at the amount I make in Japan. My MIL often tells me that 'housewives' that are Japanese cannot make anything like what I do, no matter their qualifications.

Do any of those charts show the difference between male and female 'salaryman' pay? I only know I have a lot of angry female students.

Comparing the gross money in Japan to my home country/town doesn't make much sense. Taxes are so much lower in Japan, property is a lot cheaper, interest rates are almost nonexistant. Daily expenses take a lot less of the total in Japan. Sure, some things are more, and it depends on what you want/need to buy.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Age seems to be the single biggest factor on salaries in Japan. Seems the salaries are so low when you start out, lower than in NA, but do go up as the years go by quite significantly.
I know that if I were Japanese and had the same job at my university, I would work longer hours but get paid almost double.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

slodziak · Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 143 Location: Tokyo

What can be quite shocking is the amount Japanese English teachers are paid compared to native speakers. While in most countries native speakers tend to earn more than local teachers in Japan the difference is quite stark. From the teachers I have worked with, taught or spoken to it seems they are doing well if they earn up to 50% of our salary (if we are making say �300,000 a month). They generally work longer hours than we do as well.

Focussing on native speakers I think that generally we do better here than most other countries save maybe South Korea and Saudi Arabia. What is more you can make money here without any qualifications other than a Bachelors Degree (and some do very well even if they don't have that). In London for example it is difficult to find full-time work without a DELTA/DipTESOL (the qualification above the CELTA/CertificateTESOL). Even then you will be very lucky indeed to get a job that pays above �19,000 ($37,000) and in London that probably isn't enough to survive.

Here even on a salary of �250,000 a month it should be possible to live well and have a bit left at the end of the month. I thank the remarkably low tax and the general cost of food, travel and living.

My standard of living is unquestionably better here than in the UK even though I am probably earning less per month than many of my peers.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

Yes, those bonuses make a lot of difference. And the gradual seniority increases, which Gordan alluded to. Part-timers can miss out on a lot, including the better pension benefits afforded to full timers when they retire. Now as to the benefits afforded Japanese full timers compared to foreign full timers, I would imagine that would be higher as well as the pensions are based on the salaries.

GambateBingBangBOOM · Joined: 04 Nov 2003 Posts: 2021 Location: Japan

Smooth Operator · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 140 Location: Japan

Sorry figures for Kyushu only but you get some idea. This is from a local newspaper in Kyushu:

"Japan's Cabinet Office released figures for average per capita income by prefecture and region for FY 2004, showing that the average per capita income in Kyushu (including Okinawa Prefecture) slid 0.7% from the previous year to 2.39 million yen. This was the lowest income amount among all Japanese regions, and compares unfavorably with the 0.3% increase during the same period nationwide. In fact, the per capita income for every Kyushu prefecture was below that of the national average. The only prefectures where income increased were Oita and Yamaguchi prefectures."