How much does a public health nurse make in Japan?
a year · about $19 an hour
The average public health nurse in Japan makes $36,759 (¥5.51M) 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?
After checking health-screening notes, a public health nurse may talk with residents or visit a family at home. They might run a baby checkup or health class, coordinate help with doctors, and write follow-up notes.
Did you know? After major disasters, Japanese public health nurses can be sent to affected areas and help people at shelters and through home visits.
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, students study nursing after high school, complete an approved public-health course, and pass both national exams; some universities combine the courses. Many begin work in their early 20s and learn through guided visits with senior nurses.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can change with experience, rank, location, and the type and size of employer. Full-time or part-time hours, night or weekend duties, and specialist work or extra responsibility can also make a difference.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $36,759 | $32,609 | $36,909 | 42.4 |
| Big company | $39,954 | $30,540 | $40,623 | 41.1 |
| Mid-size | $35,190 | $36,341 | $35,179 | 42.8 |
| Small company | $31,391 | $43,151 | $30,961 | 47.1 |
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/160
- www.e-stat.go.jp/dbview?sid=0003426315
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/hoken/katsudou/09/gaiyou-01.html
- laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC0000000203
- www.mhlw.go.jp/kouseiroudoushou/shikaku_shiken/hokenshi/
- www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000805235.pdf
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY