How much does a plumber make in Japan?
Answer: The average plumber in Japan makes $34,871 (¥5.23M) a year (monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
Monthly pay $2,457 × 12 + bonus $5,383. Average age 42.9; about 93,000 people work in this job. About the same as the Japan-wide average ($33,720).
Plumber pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex)
| 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 |
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.
What 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
What does a plumber do?
What's a typical day like?
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.
How to get this job
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.
Did you know?
A pipeworker can search for a hidden leak by filling a pipe with water or air and watching a pressure gauge.
What about the US?
Nearly the same jobJapan's figure is the average and the US figure is the median. Prices and exchange rates matter too, so it's a rough comparison.
Similar jobs
Manufacturing and construction jobsEarn more in the same field
Manufacturing and construction jobs that pay a bit moreSources 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
- 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