How much does a taxi driver make in Japan?
a year · about $16 an hour
The average taxi driver in Japan makes $30,055 (¥4.51M) 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?
Drivers check the car and hear safety notes, then cruise busy streets or wait at taxi stands for riders. They choose routes, help with bags, collect fares and record trips, then clean the cab and report back.
Did you know? In Japan, a taxi service has sent drivers to shop for customers, wait in hospital lines, and even clean graves—far beyond giving rides.
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?
No school level or prior experience is required in Japan. Drivers get a regular license, then a Class 2 license (normally at 21 after three years, or at 19 after special training and one year), plus company training with an experienced driver.
Why does pay differ?
Japan requires a second-class license to carry paying passengers, but pay is more often shaped by experience, local demand, work shifts, and the employer’s pay plan. Many taxi companies add sales-based pay to base pay, so the number of rides can change earnings; company and independent work also differ.
Jobs like this
Kids' questions
In the US, a typical taxi driver makes $42,100 → see more
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $30,055 | $30,299 | $26,222 | 56.8 |
| Big company | $33,725 | $33,891 | $28,327 | 52.6 |
| Mid-size | $32,624 | $32,830 | $29,143 | 55.2 |
| Small company | $24,859 | $25,081 | $21,929 | 60.3 |
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/188
- www.npa.go.jp/bureau/traffic/jyuken_tokurei.html
- www.mlit.go.jp/hakusyo/mlit/r02/hakusho/r03/html/n1111c01.html
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY