How much does a school teacher (K-9) make in Japan?
a year · about $26 an hour
The average school teacher (K-9) in Japan makes $49,011 (¥7.35M) a year, monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, about 1.5× a typical worker in Japan (average, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
What do they do?
Elementary teachers teach many subjects, while middle-school teachers focus on one. They guide students in lessons and at lunch, check their work, then plan tomorrow’s classes or meet colleagues after school.
Did you know? In TALIS, Japanese elementary and middle-school teachers reported the longest weekly work time among participating countries and regions.
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, finish a university teacher-training course and school practice, then earn an elementary or middle-school license. Pass the local public-school hiring exam or the private school's own selection.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can differ with experience and employer: public-school salaries follow local government rules, while private schools use their own pay systems. Some remote posts may include extra allowances.
Jobs like this
Kids' questions
In the US, a typical elementary teacher makes $63,970 → see more
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $49,011 | $51,002 | $45,734 | 42.2 |
| Big company | $54,909 | $55,578 | $53,715 | 41.3 |
| Mid-size | $48,255 | $51,386 | $43,103 | 42.6 |
| Small company | $43,399 | $43,789 | $42,813 | 42.1 |
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
- www.mext.go.jp/kids/find/kyoiku/mext_0005.html
- shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/Occupation/Detail/179
- shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/Occupation/Detail/180
- www.dokyoi.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/hk/kks/kyuryo-teate.html
- www.e-staff.jp/reading/2761
- www.mext.go.jp/content/20251015-mext_zaimu-00030_8.pdf
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY