How much does a doctor make in Japan?
Answer: The average doctor in Japan makes $100,817 (¥15.12M) a year (monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
Monthly pay $7,755 × 12 + bonus $7,761. Average age 45.7; about 145,000 people work in this job. Well above the Japan-wide average ($33,720).
Doctor pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex)
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $100,817 | $106,277 | $84,969 | 45.7 |
| Big company | $91,949 | $98,151 | $75,401 | 42.6 |
| Mid-size | $113,770 | $117,003 | $102,328 | 50 |
| Small company | $122,111 | $127,523 | $107,613 | 54.8 |
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay often rises with experience and senior roles, and differs by employer type, location, and full- or part-time work. A medical license is required, while extra specialist training, night or on-call shifts, and job rank can matter; hospital pay is strongly shaped by career length and position.
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 doctor do?
What's a typical day like?
A doctor asks patients about symptoms, listens to their heart and lungs, and reviews tests before explaining a treatment plan. They record each visit in a chart; hospital doctors may also round on inpatients or see outpatients with their team.
How to get this job
After high school, students complete six years of medical school and pass Japan’s national exam to get licensed, usually around age twenty-four. They then complete at least two years of clinical training in a hospital; some continue in a specialty.
Did you know?
In Japan, some doctors also serve as school doctors, helping look after children’s health at nearby schools.
Similar jobs
Healthcare and welfare jobsSources 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/404
- www.mext.go.jp/content/20240227-mxt_senmon02-000034447_1.pdf
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_b.html
- pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6819408
- www.med.or.jp/doctor/school/
- www.mhlw.go.jp/content/12404000/001107256.pdf
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY