$Who Earns What

How much does a office clerk make in Japan?

General Affairs/HR Clerks

Answer: The average office clerk in Japan makes $35,015 (¥5.25M) 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
$35,015 (¥5.25M)

Monthly pay $2,328 × 12 + bonus $7,079. Average age 44.9; about 788,000 people work in this job. About the same as the Japan-wide average ($33,720).

Office clerk pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex)

Office clerk pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex) — Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025
Company sizeEveryoneMenWomenAge
Any size$35,015$41,965$30,85244.9
Big company$40,184$47,271$34,60743.6
Mid-size$33,980$38,647$31,02344.9
Small company$28,991$36,493$26,41646.9

Why does pay differ?

In Japan, pay can differ with experience, employer size and type, region, and whether someone works full-time or shorter hours; busy periods and extra work can matter too. Useful credentials and skills in areas like hiring, payroll, or labor rules may help people take on more specialized work.

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$35,015
Big company$40,184
Mid-size$33,980
Small company$28,991
Men$41,965
Women$30,852

What does a office clerk do?

What's a typical day like?

In Japan, a general-affairs clerk may start by checking email, answering coworkers’ questions, and reviewing timesheets. They then check forms, prepare mail or supplies, handle surprise requests, and wrap up the day’s work.

How to get this job

In Japan, people often join a company after school and start in HR or general affairs, though some transfer in from another department. No special degree or license is required; related credentials, such as a labor-and-social-security attorney qualification, can help.

Did you know?

Some Japanese general-affairs clerks help coworkers moving abroad by researching nearby homes, transport, shops, schools, and hospitals.

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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