How much does a office clerk make in Japan?
Answer: The average office clerk in Japan makes $36,093 (¥5.41M) a year (monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
Monthly pay $2,377 × 12 + bonus $7,573. Average age 44.6; about 1.3 million 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)
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $36,093 | $44,983 | $29,806 | 44.6 |
| Big company | $43,303 | $52,573 | $34,154 | 44.3 |
| Mid-size | $33,597 | $39,705 | $29,175 | 43.6 |
| Small company | $27,973 | $33,784 | $25,709 | 46.3 |
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can differ with experience, company size and industry, and location. Computer, bookkeeping, or language skills—and useful certificates—can help someone take on specialized tasks, while regular, part-time, or dispatched work, hours, and overtime also matter.
What 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
What does a office clerk do?
What's a typical day like?
In a Japanese office, a clerk may start by checking email, then enter purchase records and check invoices. After lunch, they might update sales records, join a sales meeting, and finish leftover office tasks.
How to get this job
In Japan, no specific school degree, exam, or license is required for general clerical work. People can apply for jobs after school and build experience with support tasks; PC, writing, bookkeeping, or optional MOS and secretary skills can help.
Did you know?
At one Japanese manufacturer, a clerk joined sales meetings and helped spot what customers wanted—not just file papers.
What about the US?
Nearly the same jobJapan's figure is the average and the US figure is the median. Prices and exchange rates matter too, so it's a rough comparison.
Similar jobs
Office, sales and retail jobsEarn more in the same field
Office, sales and retail jobs that pay a bit moreSources 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
- shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/Occupation/Detail/428
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_b.html
- www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/database?data=1&layout=dataset&metadata=1&page=1&qu
- www.mhlw.go.jp/file/06-Seisakujouhou-11800000-Shokugyounouryokukaihatsukyoku/000
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY