What Is an Entry-Level Salary in Japan? (2026 Guide + Tokyo/Osaka Budget)

Landing your first full-time job in Japan is exciting, but the phrase “entry-level salary” can feel like a black box. Will ¥3 million a year let you enjoy izakaya nights in Shibuya, or will you be counting ¥100 coins for instant ramen? This 2026 guide breaks down what companies actually pay new graduates, what those numbers mean after taxes and social insurance, and how far your paycheck stretches in Tokyo versus Osaka. We’ll also cover part-time (arubaito) wages, regional cost gaps, and concrete budgeting tricks that keep your bank balance—and social life—healthy.

What Counts as an “Entry-Level” Salary in Japan?

In HR jargon, 初任給 (shoninkyū) is the starting monthly base salary for a new graduate with no prior full-time experience. Bonuses and allowances sit on top, so the annual figure you see on job boards is usually “base × 12 + summer/winter bonuses.”

For the 2026 hiring cycle (April starts), the median entry package sits at ¥3.55 million nationwide, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour & Welfare’s 2025 preliminary survey of 2,300 firms. That is only ¥90,000 higher than 2025, reflecting the slow but steady wage creep the Abe/Kishida administrations pushed for.

Industry Snapshots: Who Pays What in 2026

Industry	Typical Entry Pay (¥M/year)	Bonus Share	Notes
Automotive / Hardware	4.2 – 4.8	5–6 months	Toyota, Honda, Aisin
Electronics / Semiconductor	4.0 – 4.6	4–5 months	Sony, Tokyo Electron
Trading Houses (sōgō shōsha)	4.0 – 4.5	5 months	Mitsubishi Corp., Itochu
Finance (Megabanks / Securities)	3.8 – 4.4	5 months	MUFG, Nomura
IT / SaaS	3.6 – 4.2	3–4 months	LINE, Rakuten, Mercari
Logistics / Retail	3.2 – 3.6	2–3 months	Seven&i, Amazon Japan
Advertising / Publishing	3.0 – 3.4	2–3 months	Dentsu, Hakuhodo
Hospitality / Tourism	2.9 – 3.2	1–2 months	Hotels, ryokan chains
Education / Eikaiwa	2.8 – 3.1	1 month	Nova, ECC, dispatch ALT
Non-profit / Social work	2.6 – 2.9	1 month	NPOs, care facilities

The gap between a megabank and an eikaiwa chain can be ¥1.5 million a year—so choose your lane carefully.

The Real Take-Home: From ¥3.5 M Gross to Bank Balance

Japan’s payroll deductions look opaque until you see them line-by-line. On a ¥3.5 million salary (no spouse, no dependents), 2026 statutory rates produce:

Item	Annual ¥	% of Gross
Health Insurance (Kyōkai Kenpo, Tokyo)	210,000	6.00%
Pension (Kosei Nenkin)	321,000	9.15%
Employment Insurance	14,000	0.40%
Income Tax (after deductions)	92,000	2.63%
Residence Tax (starting 2nd year)	179,000	5.11%
Net Pay	2,684,000	76.7%

Monthly take-home: ¥223,000. That’s the number you budget against—not the flashy ¥290,000 gross.

Tokyo vs Osaka: Same Salary, Different Lifestyle

Both cities sit at the top of the cost-of-living index, but Tokyo’s housing market is in a league of its own. Below is a realistic 2026 monthly budget for a single 23-year-old who:

Commutes within 30 min of Shibuya or Namba
Eats out 6–7 times a week (lunch ¥700, dinner ¥1,200)
Buys a monthly subway pass and a ¥55,000 national health insurance guitar-class phone plan

Category	Tokyo	Osaka	Notes
Rent (1R, 20–25 m²)	95,000	70,000	Osaka 25–30% cheaper
Utilities	11,000	10,000
Transit Pass	15,000	12,000
Phone + Home Internet	15,000	15,000
Groceries	25,000	23,000
Dining Out	45,000	40,000
Insurance / Medical	5,000	5,000
Gym / Hobbies / Clothing	15,000	13,000
Total Core Living	226,000	188,000
Discretionary / Travel	20,000	20,000
TOTAL SPEND	246,000	208,000

Net salary available: ¥223,000 (Tokyo) vs ¥223,000 (Osaka)
Shortfall / Surplus: –23,000 in Tokyo, +15,000 in Osaka

Translation: A new grad in Tokyo earning the national median must either:

Keep rent below ¥75,000 (possible in Saitama or Kanagawa, commute 45 min), or
Trim food & fun budget by 10–15%.

Osaka leaves breathing room for weekend trips to Kyoto or Kobe without dipping into savings.

Regional Quick Glance: Where Does ¥3 M Feel Rich?

City	Rent Index*	1R Rent (¥)	Real Take-Home Buying Power**
Tokyo 23 wards	100	95,000	Baseline
Yokohama	80	78,000	+12%
Osaka City	74	70,000	+18%
Nagoya	68	65,000	+24%
Fukuoka	62	58,000	+30%
Sendai	59	55,000	+34%
Sapporo	56	50,000	+38%

*Numbeo 2026 Q1 index vs Tokyo
**Relative purchasing power after housing, tax, and transport

If your employer allows full remote, a ¥3 million salary in Sapporo feels like ¥4.1 million in Tokyo.

Full-Time (Seishain) vs Part-Time (Arubaito): More Than Just Hours

Metric	Seishain	Arubaito
Starting yearly	¥3.0–4.0 M	¥1.0–1.4 M (¥1,200–1,400/hr × 20 hr/week)
Bonus	2–6 months	None
Paid leave	10–20 days	Statutory 5 days (rarely taken)
Shakai Hoken	Yes	Only if >20 hr/week & company >501 staff
Residence tax	Yes	Yes (if >¥1 M/year)
Unemployment cover	Yes	Limited
Career growth	Fast	Slow / none
Visa points (HSFP)	Eligible	Not eligible

Rule of thumb: switch from arubaito to seishain as soon as possible—your pension contribution years and lifetime earnings accelerate dramatically.

Budgeting Hacks That Add ¥30,000/Month

Commuter Pass Magic
Companies refund the full ¥15,000–30,000 monthly pass. Buy the pass via your employer’s proxy—no income tax on the benefit.
Nenmatsu Chōsei Year-End Tax Adjustment
Declare your insurance, earthquake donation, and hometown tax (furusato nōzei) to claw back ¥20,000–60,000 every December.
Housing Subsidy Programs
Tokyo’s “Share Life” initiative gives ¥30,000/month for two years if you move into approved share houses. Osaka’s version is ¥20,000/month.
Cashless Rebates
Pay with QR codes (PayPay, Rakuten Pay) to harvest 1–2% store points—small, but ¥2,000–3,000 a month if you channel every purchase.
100-Yen Supermarket Time
After 7 p.m., fresh ready-meals are 30–50% off. Stack with supermarket loyalty apps for another 5%.
SIM-Only Plans
Rakuten Mobile or IIJmio drops your phone bill to ¥2,000–3,000/month. Keep the guitar-class plan only if you need 5G tethering for work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do foreign workers get paid less?
A: Legally, no. The 2023 Equal Pay for Equal Work law bans wage gaps solely on nationality. In reality, Japanese language ability affects job grade; N1 holders land the same pay as Japanese peers.

Q: When do raises kick in?
A: Most firms review in April. Expect ¥3,000–5,000 base pay bump monthly (¥36,000–60,000 yearly). Promotion to kachō (manager) at 30–32 can double the bonus ratio.

Q: Is ¥4 million enough to sponsor a spouse visa?
A: Immigration looks at stability, not just salary. ¥4 million with health insurance and tax records is safe; ¥3 million can work if you have savings and company sponsorship letter.

Q: Should I negotiate?
A: New-grad programs are rigid, but you can negotiate start date (earlier = sooner to bonus), housing allowance, and training rotation location. Mid-career hires (≥3 years exp) have real leverage.

Key Takeaways

Japan’s entry-level salary in 2026 hovers around ¥3.0–4.0 million, but take-home is 23% lighter after taxes and social insurance.
Tokyo rents swallow up to 40% of net pay; Osaka is 25% cheaper and leaves room to save.
Switch from arubaito to seishain early—bonuses and pension contributions compound massively.
Use commuter passes, furusato nōzei, and off-peak grocery runs to reclaim ¥30,000/month without lifestyle sacrifice.
Regional cities (Fukuoka, Sendai) can boost real purchasing power by 30–40% if remote work is an option.

Armed with real numbers and a lean budget, your first Japanese paycheck becomes a launchpad—not a leash—to explore everything from Hokkaidō powder to Okinawan beaches.