$Who Earns What

How much does a college professor make in Japan?

University Professors (incl. technical colleges)

Answer: The average college professor in Japan makes $72,176 (¥10.83M) a year (monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).

Average yearly pay of people doing this job in Japan
$72,176 (¥10.83M)

Monthly pay $4,452 × 12 + bonus $18,752. Average age 57.5; about 69,000 people work in this job. Well above the Japan-wide average ($33,720).

College professor pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex)

College professor pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex) — Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025
Company sizeEveryoneMenWomenAge
Any size$72,176$74,011$65,39457.5
Big company$76,319$77,911$69,47356.6
Mid-size$65,445$67,112$60,51059
Small company$54,626$54,756$54,35960.6

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.

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$72,176
Big company$76,319
Mid-size$65,445
Small company$54,626
Men$74,011
Women$65,394

What does a college professor do?

What's a typical day like?

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.

How to get this job

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.

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.

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Sources and data

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