How much does a high school teacher make in Japan?
a year · about $23 an hour
The average high school teacher in Japan makes $44,407 (¥6.66M) 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?
A teacher plans lessons, prepares worksheets or lab activities, then teaches classes and checks what students understand. They grade tests, guide students on future plans, and may coach a club or help run school events.
Did you know? A high school teacher in Japan may also coach a club and travel with students to matches or tournaments—not just teach classes.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowWhat if you were…
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How it changes with age
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How it changes with company size
How do you become one?
Study your subject and teacher training at a Japanese university, do teaching practice at a high school, then earn the subject-specific license. Next, pass a public-school hiring exam or a private school's selection to be hired.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can differ with experience, local pay rules, and whether a teacher works for a public or private school. Full-time, part-time, evening, or correspondence-school jobs may have different pay arrangements, while a subject-specific license determines what the teacher can teach.
Jobs like this
Kids' questions
In the US, a typical high school teacher makes $72,040 → see more
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $44,407 | $46,357 | $40,517 | 43.9 |
| Big company | $53,691 | $57,061 | $45,413 | 45 |
| Mid-size | $44,252 | $45,909 | $40,906 | 43.6 |
| Small company | $40,258 | $41,907 | $37,357 | 44.1 |
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/183
- www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/kyoin/main13_a2.htm
- www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/kyoin/20220913-mxt_kouhou02-1.pdf
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_b.html
- www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/kyuyo/1394392.htm
- www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/shiritsu/index_00001.htm
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY