How much does a company truck driver make in Japan?
Answer: The average company truck driver in Japan makes $28,683 (¥4.3M) a year (monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
Monthly pay $2,126 × 12 + bonus $3,171. Average age 52.5; about 61,000 people work in this job. About the same as the Japan-wide average ($33,720).
Company truck driver pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex)
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $28,683 | $28,902 | $25,262 | 52.5 |
| Big company | $31,236 | $31,597 | $29,022 | 46.3 |
| Mid-size | $27,739 | $28,005 | $22,077 | 53.5 |
| Small company | $28,891 | $29,115 | $25,655 | 52.5 |
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can differ with driving experience, the truck and cargo skills or licenses needed, and the size and type of employer or local area. Work hours matter too: night runs, overtime, and route-based allowances can change 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 company truck driver do?
What's a typical day like?
They check the truck and delivery papers, load and secure the goods, then drive to the planned stops. After unloading and getting a receipt, they return, report the trip, and record the vehicle check.
How to get this job
No special school diploma is required in Japan; get a first-class license that matches the truck. Ordinary or semi-medium license tests are open from age 17½, but licenses are issued at 18; new hires learn in class and by riding with an experienced driver.
Did you know?
By weight, trucks carry about 90% of all domestic freight in Japan.
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Driving and transport 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/477
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chingin_qa.html
- www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/menkyo/menkyo/annai/other/tekisei02.html
- driver-roudou-jikan.mhlw.go.jp/truck/picture
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY