Who Earns What

How much does a sheet metal worker make in Japan?

Sheet Metal Workers
$30,283 (¥4.54M)

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 know
This job$30,283
Typical worker$33,720
Elementary teacher$49,011
Doctor$100,817
Cashier$25,651

What if you were…

In Japan, age and company size matter most

Pick a company size, sex or age to see that group's average here.

How it changes with age

Tap an age to update the number above (Any company size, men and women combined)

How it changes with company size

Any size$30,283
Big company$37,540
Mid-size$31,344
Small company$28,913
Men$30,817
Women$22,197

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

Next up

Who earns more?

In the US, a typical sheet metal worker makes $61,800 → see more

Data table and sources
Sheet metal worker pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex) — Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025
Company sizeEveryoneMenWomenAge
Any size$30,283$30,817$22,19743
Big company$37,540$38,003$20,86141.6
Mid-size$31,344$31,704$24,51542.7
Small company$28,913$29,489$21,41543.4

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

Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY