How much does a sheet metal worker make in Japan?
a year · about $16 an hour
The average sheet metal worker in Japan makes $30,283 (¥4.54M) a year, monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, about the same as a typical worker in Japan (average, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
What do they do?
They check measurements, mark thin metal sheets, then cut and bend them with tools or machines. On site, they fasten roof or wall panels, gutters, or air ducts, checking the seams so rain stays out.
Did you know? In Japan, a spinning metal sheet can be pressed with a rod into cups, sake vessels, and Buddhist altar fittings—a craft called hera-shibori.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowWhat if you were…
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How it changes with age
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How it changes with company size
How do you become one?
In Japan, no particular school or license is required; many start after school as trainees at a building sheet-metal business. Vocational training is another route, and passing the national skills test can qualify them as a certified building sheet-metal worker.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can vary with experience and skill certificates, and with employer size and type; roof, wall, and air-duct specialists do different work. Region, full- or part-time hours, and weather-related overtime can also matter.
Jobs like this
In the US, a typical sheet metal worker makes $61,800 → see more
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $30,283 | $30,817 | $22,197 | 43 |
| Big company | $37,540 | $38,003 | $20,861 | 41.6 |
| Mid-size | $31,344 | $31,704 | $24,515 | 42.7 |
| Small company | $28,913 | $29,489 | $21,415 | 43.4 |
Source: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 (regular workers, by occupation) (e-Stat). Yearly pay = monthly contractual cash earnings × 12 + annual bonus. Averages for regular workers at firms with 10+ employees. Public employees (teachers, police, firefighters) and company executives are not in this survey. e-stat.go.jp
Pages used for the text
- shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/Occupation/Detail/40
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_sankou_a.html
- www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/jinzaikaihatsu/ability_ski
- waza.mhlw.go.jp/shokushu/list/kenchikubankin.html
- osaka-bankin.or.jp/kenban.html
- www.nishigaki-248.com/business/spinning.html
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY