How much does a wood and paper maker make in Japan?
Answer: The average wood and paper maker in Japan makes $28,946 (¥4.34M) a year (monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
Monthly pay $2,060 × 12 + bonus $4,226. Average age 44.9; about 162,000 people work in this job. About the same as the Japan-wide average ($33,720).
Wood and paper maker pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex)
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $28,946 | $30,469 | $20,615 | 44.9 |
| Big company | $35,743 | $36,794 | $25,038 | 41.3 |
| Mid-size | $31,047 | $32,280 | $23,203 | 42.5 |
| Small company | $25,842 | $27,470 | $18,601 | 47.5 |
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, workers with more experience and stronger machine or specialist skills may earn more, and trade certificates can show those skills. Pay can also differ by employer size and workplace, region, assigned process, and hours: overtime, night work, or rotating shifts may bring extra allowances.
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 wood and paper maker do?
What's a typical day like?
Depending on the specialty, workers sort logs and guide them through saws, or run paper cutters, printers, folding and gluing machines. They check sizes and quality, then bundle boards or pack boxes for delivery.
How to get this job
In Japan, no special degree or license is usually required; people can join a wood mill or paper-box factory and learn the machines on the job. With experience, they can pursue skill tests in machine woodworking or paper and corrugated-box making.
Did you know?
In Japan, even though many paper-box steps are machine-run, workers still hand-stick paper onto some high-end boxes.
Similar jobs
Manufacturing and construction jobsEarn more in the same field
Manufacturing and construction 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/281
- shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/Occupation/Detail/285
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_b.html
- jwta.or.jp/license/index.html
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY