How much does a train driver make in Japan?
a year · about $25 an hour
The average train driver in Japan makes $47,943 (¥7.19M) a year, monthly pay × 12 plus bonus, about 1.4× a typical worker in Japan (average, 2025, Japan's Basic Survey on Wage Structure).
What do they do?
A driver checks the day's notices, synchronizes a railway watch, and inspects the train before departure. Then they watch signals and tracks, stop at platforms on time, and report the train's condition when relieved.
Did you know? On many Nose Electric Railway trains, one driver also handles doors, announcements, and emergencies—jobs a conductor might do elsewhere.
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?
After high school, join a railway company and usually work at a station or as a conductor before driver training. From age 18, pass health, aptitude, written, and practical tests for the train-specific national license, then practice under supervision.
Why does pay differ?
In Japan, pay can differ with a railway company’s pay rules and size, location, and a worker’s experience and skills. Driver, qualification, and time-on-duty allowances may add to pay, as can overnight, night, weekend, or overtime shifts.
Jobs like this
Kids' questions
In the US, a typical train engineer makes $81,410 → see more
Data table and sources
| Company size | Everyone | Men | Women | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any size | $47,943 | $48,392 | $42,261 | 41 |
| Big company | $48,163 | $48,705 | $40,795 | 41.5 |
| Mid-size | $49,420 | $49,774 | $45,897 | 39.3 |
| Small company | $29,466 | $29,539 | $27,490 | 43.6 |
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/192
- laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/331M50000800043
- noseden.hankyu.co.jp/about/driver.html
- www.kintetsu.jp/employment/university/info/
- www.fujikyu-railway.jp/en/recruit
- www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/chinginkouzou_sankou_a.html
Data: MHLW Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY