How much does a drafter make in Japan?
a year · about $16 an hour
The average drafter in Japan makes $31,390 (¥4.71M) 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 check a designer's instructions and specifications, then use CAD to draw or revise plans for buildings, machines, or parts. Depending on the field, they may also make 3-D models or wiring and plumbing plans, and deadlines can bring overtime.
Did you know? In a Japanese CAD contest, young makers get a machine's assembly drawing and must turn one part into a precise, JIS-rule production drawing using CAD.
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, learn CAD in high school, a technical college, or vocational school, then apply for drafting jobs; no degree or license is required. Relevant high-school students can take the optional Level 3 Mechanical and Plant Drafting (CAD) skills test.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can differ with experience, CAD skills or qualifications, the kind of employer and its size, and the field, such as construction or manufacturing. Region, full- or short-time work, and deadline-driven overtime can matter too.
Jobs like this
In the US, a typical drafter makes $63,520 → see more
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $31,390 | $36,162 | $25,060 | 41.5 |
| Big company | $30,541 | $39,829 | $24,617 | 39.5 |
| Mid-size | $33,188 | $38,733 | $25,136 | 40.3 |
| Small company | $29,609 | $32,009 | $25,359 | 44 |
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/25
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_b.html
- www.javada.or.jp/jigyou/gino/giken/pdf/panf_machine_cad.pdf
- www.javada.or.jp/jyakunen20/04/02_01_kadai_gaiyo.pdf
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY