How much does a college professor make in Japan?
a year · about $38 an hour
The average college professor in Japan makes $72,176 (¥10.83M) a year, monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, about 2.1× a typical worker in Japan (average, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
What do they do?
A professor might teach in a lecture hall, then advise students on research or thesis projects. Between classes, they may write papers, plan research, and join meetings about admissions or courses.
Did you know? In Japan, university professors don't need a schoolteacher's license; hiring focuses on their expertise and record in research and teaching.
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, people usually study a subject at university, then pursue graduate study and research, often earning a doctorate. They apply for university or KOSEN openings and commonly gain experience as postdocs or junior faculty before becoming professors.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, each university sets its own pay, so rank, experience, and the employer's rules matter; teaching-only part-time jobs can have different arrangements. Government wage statistics compare pay by experience, employer size, and location, while no single teaching license sets professors' pay.
Jobs like this
Kids' questions
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $72,176 | $74,011 | $65,394 | 57.5 |
| Big company | $76,319 | $77,911 | $69,473 | 56.6 |
| Mid-size | $65,445 | $67,112 | $60,510 | 59 |
| Small company | $54,626 | $54,756 | $54,359 | 60.6 |
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/184
- www.e-stat.go.jp/index.php/dbview?sid=0004008720
- www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/shingi/chukyo/chukyo4/houkoku/attach/1343036.htm
- www.akashi.ac.jp/for-public/recruitment.html
- jp.indeed.com/career-advice/careers/what-does-a-university-professor-do
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY