How much does a plumber make in Japan?
a year · about $18 an hour
The average plumber in Japan makes $34,871 (¥5.23M) 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 the site and drawings, mark pipe routes, then cut, bend, join, and fit pipes for water, gas, or air-conditioning. They test for leaks and may repair broken parts or clear blocked drains.
Did you know? A pipeworker can search for a hidden leak by filling a pipe with water or air and watching a pressure gauge.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowWhat if you were…
In Japan, age and company size matter mostPick 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
How do you become one?
In Japan, people often start after high school (around age 18), though no degree or license is required; newcomers can train at a firm or vocational school. They learn on the job and may take the national Pipe Skills Test to prove their skills.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can differ with experience, useful certificates, and whether someone works on water, gas, air-conditioning, or other pipes. Employer size or type, region, full- or short-hours work, and extra or holiday hours can also affect earnings.
Jobs like this
Kids' questions
In the US, a typical plumber makes $63,800 → see more
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $34,871 | $35,002 | $26,510 | 42.9 |
| Big company | $42,669 | $42,825 | $38,374 | 34.8 |
| Mid-size | $36,075 | $36,117 | $30,598 | 39.7 |
| Small company | $34,310 | $34,465 | $24,923 | 43.7 |
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/47
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_b.html
- www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/koyou_roudou/jinzaikaihatsu/ability_ski
- www.javada.or.jp/jigyou/gino/giken/3kyu/syokusyu/18.html
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY