Who Earns What

How much does a sales worker make in Japan?

Other Merchandise Sales Workers, NEC
$37,175 (¥5.58M)

a year · about $19 an hour

The average sales worker in Japan makes $37,175 (¥5.58M) 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?

Before opening, staff arrange or restock goods and check online orders. They answer questions, explain items, handle purchases, and may assess, clean, or repair used goods before recording sales and stock at closing.

Did you know? A secondhand-shop salesperson may buy a customer’s old item, clean or repair it, and then put it back on sale.

Is that a lot?

Compared with jobs you know
This job$37,175
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$37,175
Big company$40,968
Mid-size$36,757
Small company$34,573
Men$38,429
Women$32,334

How do you become one?

In Japan, no particular degree or license is required: people apply to a shop and learn through training and on-the-job coaching. Some start as student part-timers and later become regular employees; the optional Retail Marketing (Salesperson) exam teaches useful retail skills.

Why does pay differ?

In Japan, pay can differ with experience and whether someone takes on specialist advice, buying, appraising, or store-management work. Shop type and size, location, full- or part-time status, and hours or overtime also matter; retail credentials may show knowledge, but they are not required.

Jobs like this

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Who earns more?
Data table and sources
Sales worker pay in Japan (2025, averages by company size and sex) — Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025
Company sizeEveryoneMenWomenAge
Any size$37,175$38,429$32,33442
Big company$40,968$42,967$36,89642.6
Mid-size$36,757$38,298$28,91140
Small company$34,573$35,679$28,44443.8

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