Who Earns What

How much does a plumber make in Japan?

Plumbing/Piping Workers
$34,871 (¥5.23M)

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 know
This job$34,871
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$34,871
Big company$42,669
Mid-size$36,075
Small company$34,310
Men$35,002
Women$26,510

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

Next up

Who earns more?

In the US, a typical plumber makes $63,800 → see more

Data table and sources
Plumber pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex) — Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025
Company sizeEveryoneMenWomenAge
Any size$34,871$35,002$26,51042.9
Big company$42,669$42,825$38,37434.8
Mid-size$36,075$36,117$30,59839.7
Small company$34,310$34,465$24,92343.7

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

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