How much does a lab technician make in Japan?
a year · about $17 an hour
The average lab technician in Japan makes $32,133 (¥4.82M) 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?
They collect blood or urine samples, run lab tests, and may record a patient’s heartbeat with an ECG. They check results for doctors, clean and check machines, and prepare supplies for the next shift.
Did you know? After a special course, Japanese clinical lab technologists can collect nasal and throat swabs—not just test samples.
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?
In Japan, complete an approved three-year college or vocational program, or a four-year university program, then pass the national exam and get licensed. Many begin in hospitals or testing centers in their early twenties and keep learning on the job.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, a national license is required, but pay can still vary with experience, employer type and size, and location. Night or on-call shifts may bring extra allowances, while specialist skills such as ultrasound can make a worker more sought after.
Jobs like this
Kids' questions
In the US, a typical lab technician makes $62,930 → see more
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $32,133 | $36,072 | $30,427 | 40.2 |
| Big company | $34,725 | $37,821 | $32,647 | 38.9 |
| Mid-size | $29,955 | $33,475 | $28,845 | 41.2 |
| Small company | $30,104 | $33,163 | $29,535 | 41.1 |
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/161
- www.mhlw.go.jp/kouseiroudoushou/shikaku_shiken/rinshoukensagishi/
- www.jamt.or.jp/target/general/introduction/
- mtjob.jp/about_mt/job/hospital
- mtjob.jp/about_mt/mtmoney
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY