How much does a machine assembler make in Japan?

Japan Other Machinery Assembly Workers, NEC

$30,500 (¥4.58M)

a year · about $16 an hour

The average machine assembler in Japan makes $30,500 (¥4.58M) 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?

You check the drawing, tools, and parts, then use hand tools and lifts to join a machine’s frame, units, wires, and pipes. You adjust and test it, then may help install it at a customer’s factory.

Did you know? A Japanese machine-assembly contest challenged competitors to hand-file 119 surfaces and build a micro-hole machine in 6 hours 50 minutes.

Is that a lot?

Compared with jobs you know

This job$30,500

Typical worker$33,720

Elementary teacher$49,011

Doctor$100,817

Cashier$25,651

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$30,500

Big company$38,109

Mid-size$26,938

Small company$25,119

Men$34,271

Women$22,865

How do you become one?

Japan has no required degree or entry license, though many workers study at a technical high school or vocational school. New hires learn on the job; later, a finishing-skills certificate can prove skill, and crane or welding work may require separate credentials.

Why does pay differ?

In Japan, pay can differ with experience, skills and useful certificates; custom machines may also call for different know-how than repeat line work. Employer rules, company size, location, full- or short-time hours, overtime and weekend work can also matter.

Jobs like this

Next up

Who earns more?

In the US, a typical assembler makes $44,650 → see more

Data table and sources

Machine assembler pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex) — Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025
Company size	Everyone	Men	Women	Age
Any size	$30,500	$34,271	$22,865	43.3
Big company	$38,109	$40,141	$30,455	41
Mid-size	$26,938	$31,347	$20,278	42.7
Small company	$25,119	$28,017	$20,833	46.7

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

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Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY