Who Earns What

How much does a car salesperson make in Japan?

Automobile Sales Workers
$39,047 (¥5.86M)

a year · about $20 an hour

The average car salesperson in Japan makes $39,047 (¥5.86M) 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 tidy the showroom and check appointments, then greet shoppers, explain cars, arrange test drives, and prepare quotes or contracts. Later, they may call customers about inspections, handle insurance or registration paperwork, and deliver a car.

Did you know? In Japan, car salespeople may also handle registration, tax and insurance paperwork, value a trade-in, and deliver the new car—not just sell it.

Is that a lot?

Compared with jobs you know
This job$39,047
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$39,047
Big company$42,286
Mid-size$37,994
Small company$36,088
Men$40,387
Women$30,552

How do you become one?

In Japan, people usually finish high school, college, or vocational school and apply to a dealership; no special degree or sales exam is needed. New hires train with the company and senior staff, and need a driving licence to test-drive or deliver cars.

Why does pay differ?

In Japan, experience can build car knowledge and sales skill, while strong results may bring performance-based allowances. Pay also depends on the employer’s pay plan, location, work hours or status, and whether you sell new or used cars. A driving licence is needed to test-drive or deliver cars, but a special sales certificate is not required.

Jobs like this

Next up

Who earns more?
Data table and sources
Car salesperson pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex) — Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025
Company sizeEveryoneMenWomenAge
Any size$39,047$40,387$30,55239.9
Big company$42,286$44,161$32,70538.1
Mid-size$37,994$39,311$29,47140.2
Small company$36,088$36,897$28,01442.2

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

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