How much does a driver make in Japan?
a year · about $15 an hour
The average driver in Japan makes $28,757 (¥4.31M) 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?
Jobs differ, but a road-sweeper shift might start with a vehicle check, then follow a route while spraying and sweeping the road. Afterward, the driver returns the vehicle and reports its condition and the work done.
Did you know? Japan’s official job list puts hospital ambulance drivers, medical-checkup vans, airplane-towing vehicles, road sweepers, tow trucks, and rental-car movers in one “other drivers” group.
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?
Japan has no required school degree; get the right first-class license (ordinary and semi-medium licenses are issued from age 18). After hiring, learn in class and through ride-along training, adding larger-vehicle or towing licenses if needed.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can change with experience, company size and type, and where the job is. The vehicle and extra licenses needed, specialist tasks, night shifts, and overtime can also make a difference.
Jobs like this
In the US, a typical vehicle driver makes $37,180 → see more
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $28,757 | $28,919 | $27,339 | 53.6 |
| Big company | $29,516 | $30,332 | $20,245 | 52.1 |
| Mid-size | $27,507 | $27,319 | $28,284 | 55.3 |
| Small company | $29,709 | $29,816 | $25,079 | 52.4 |
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.hellowork.mhlw.go.jp/info/mhlw_job_dictionary_09.html
- shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/Occupation/Detail/477
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_b.html
- www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/menkyo/menkyo/annai/other/tekisei02.html
- www.nihon-road.co.jp/service/rc/
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY