How much does a general laborer make in Japan?
a year · about $12 an hour
The average general laborer in Japan makes $23,575 (¥3.54M) a year, monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, below a typical worker in Japan ($33,720) (average, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
What do they do?
The day depends on the job: a factory worker may move supplies, sort waste, and clean floors or machines, then report the work. Others prepare a sports field or event venue, so the tools and routine change.
Did you know? Surprisingly, Japan’s catch-all job category includes archaeological dig workers and concert-venue setup crews—not just cleaners or movers.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowWhat 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
How do you become one?
In Japan, many jobs in this broad group need no special degree or license; people can apply directly to an employer and learn from a supervisor. Machinery tasks may require job-specific training or a license, such as forklift training.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay in this broad group can differ with the task, experience, location, employer type or size, and full-time or part-time hours. Night or overtime shifts can add pay, and some specialist loading work needs forklift training.
Jobs like this
In the US, a typical material handler makes $41,800 → see more
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $23,575 | $25,506 | $18,582 | 50.3 |
| Big company | $24,165 | $26,169 | $20,428 | 52.2 |
| Mid-size | $22,989 | $25,070 | $18,357 | 48.5 |
| Small company | $24,022 | $25,709 | $17,666 | 51.6 |
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
- www.e-stat.go.jp/classifications/terms/20/02/739
- www.hellowork.mhlw.go.jp/info/mhlw_job_dictionary_11.html
- shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/Occupation/Detail/490
- shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/Occupation/Detail/497
- shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/Occupation/Detail/489
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_b.html
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY