How much does a delivery truck driver make in Japan?
Answer: The average delivery truck driver in Japan makes $29,903 (¥4.49M) a year (monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
Monthly pay $2,278 × 12 + bonus $2,567. Average age 50.3; about 452,000 people work in this job. About the same as the Japan-wide average ($33,720).
Delivery truck driver pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex)
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $29,903 | $30,089 | $25,628 | 50.3 |
| Big company | $35,688 | $35,996 | $26,784 | 47.1 |
| Mid-size | $29,569 | $29,688 | $27,182 | 51 |
| Small company | $27,331 | $27,462 | $24,419 | 51.5 |
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can differ with experience, the size and type of employer, and location. Route and overtime allowances can also make a difference, so night shifts, longer runs, special cargo, and the licenses needed for them may 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 delivery truck driver do?
What's a typical day like?
Drivers start with a vehicle check, a health and alcohol check, and a look at the route and paperwork. They load and secure the cargo, drive to the delivery point, unload it, and report back after the run.
How to get this job
No special schooling is required in Japan; from age 18, you can get a first-class license for a suitable lighter truck, such as the semi-medium class. After joining a transport company, new drivers train in class and alongside an experienced driver for about one to three months, and some employers help with license costs.
Did you know?
By weight, trucks carry about 90% of Japan’s domestic freight—roughly nine out of every ten tons.
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
Office, sales and retail jobsEarn more in the same field
Office, sales and retail 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/chinginkouzou_b.html
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_sankou_a.html
- wwwtb.mlit.go.jp/kanto/jidou_koutu/driver/qa.html
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY