$Who Earns What

How much does a building caretaker make in Japan?

Residential/Building Caretakers

Answer: The average building caretaker in Japan makes $24,671 (¥3.7M) a year (monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).

Average yearly pay of people doing this job in Japan
$24,671 (¥3.7M)

Monthly pay $1,802 × 12 + bonus $3,047. Average age 57.6; about 44,000 people work in this job. Below the Japan-wide average ($33,720).

Building caretaker pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex)

Building caretaker pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex) — Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025
Company sizeEveryoneMenWomenAge
Any size$24,671$25,099$22,07357.6
Big company$28,083$28,623$23,92755.1
Mid-size$20,659$21,019$18,66361.5
Small company$23,900$23,726$24,66256.3

Why does pay differ?

In Japan, pay can change with the management company's contract, building size, location, and schedule—such as patrol, daytime, live-in, or round-the-clock work. Experience and hours matter too; an optional certificate may help with some jobs, but caretakers do not need a license.

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$24,671
Big company$28,083
Mid-size$20,659
Small company$23,900
Men$25,099
Women$22,073

What does a building caretaker do?

What's a typical day like?

The caretaker starts by sorting trash and sweeping the entrance, then checks lights and shared spaces while answering residents’ questions. They post notices, meet repair workers, arrange simple fixes, and write a daily report.

How to get this job

In Japan, no special school, experience, or license is required; people apply to a management company or job listing, often after another career or retirement. New hires receive company training and on-site practice before taking up the job.

Did you know?

A Japanese apartment caretaker's contract may not include cleaning; some caretakers also clean, depending on the building's size.

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Sources 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

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