Japanese pay is usually split between monthly salary and bonuses paid in summer and winter. The bonus is a large share of annual income and it moves with the employer's results, so comparing monthly salaries alone understates the difference between employers.
Annual bonus means everything paid in the previous calendar year — summer, winter and any year-end payment combined. The survey does not split them.
| Industry | Annual bonus | Months of pay | Monthly scheduled pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | ¥0.91m | 2.86 | ¥0.32m |
| Finance and insurance | ¥1.53m | 3.89 | ¥0.39m |
| Electricity, gas, heat supply and water | ¥1.43m | 3.48 | ¥0.41m |
| 鉱業，採石業，砂利採取業 | ¥1.38m | 3.76 | ¥0.37m |
| Scientific research, professional and technical services | ¥1.36m | 3.44 | ¥0.40m |
| Real estate and goods rental and leasing | ¥1.27m | 3.73 | ¥0.34m |
| Education, learning support | ¥1.23m | 3.25 | ¥0.38m |
| Information and communications | ¥1.14m | 2.98 | ¥0.38m |
| Construction | ¥1.09m | 3.13 | ¥0.35m |
| Manufacturing | ¥1.05m | 3.45 | ¥0.31m |
| Compound services | ¥1.00m | 3.30 | ¥0.30m |
| Wholesale and retail trade | ¥0.86m | 2.70 | ¥0.32m |
| Medical, health care and welfare | ¥0.72m | 2.41 | ¥0.30m |
| Transport and postal services | ¥0.62m | 2.12 | ¥0.29m |
| Services, n.e.c. | ¥0.62m | 2.16 | ¥0.29m |
| Living-related and personal services and amusement services | ¥0.45m | 1.60 | ¥0.28m |
| Accommodations, eating and drinking services | ¥0.34m | 1.30 | ¥0.26m |
Industries differ by 4.5×. But the amount is not the same as generosity — industries with high monthly pay also show high bonuses. The months of pay column is the fairer comparison: it is the bonus divided by monthly scheduled pay.
| Age | Annual bonus | Months of pay | Monthly scheduled pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| All ages | ¥0.91m | 2.86 | ¥0.32m |
| 19 and under | ¥0.15m | 0.78 | ¥0.19m |
| 20-24 | ¥0.38m | 1.69 | ¥0.23m |
| 25-29 | ¥0.66m | 2.57 | ¥0.26m |
| 30-34 | ¥0.80m | 2.80 | ¥0.29m |
| 35-39 | ¥0.94m | 2.98 | ¥0.32m |
| 40-44 | ¥1.03m | 3.04 | ¥0.34m |
| 45-49 | ¥1.12m | 3.15 | ¥0.36m |
| 50-54 | ¥1.20m | 3.22 | ¥0.37m |
| 55-59 | ¥1.22m | 3.24 | ¥0.38m |
| 60-64 | ¥0.72m | 2.37 | ¥0.31m |
| 65-69 | ¥0.36m | 1.34 | ¥0.27m |
| 70 and over | ¥0.27m | 1.06 | ¥0.25m |
Bonuses peak in the late fifties and fall sharply after 60. That is re-employment after mandatory retirement changing the terms, not the same people being paid less for the same job.
| Employer size | Annual bonus | Months of pay | Monthly scheduled pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| All sizes (10+) | ¥0.91m | 2.86 | ¥0.32m |
| 1,000+ employees | ¥1.19m | 3.43 | ¥0.35m |
| 100–999 | ¥0.89m | 2.86 | ¥0.31m |
| 10–99 | ¥0.60m | 2.06 | ¥0.29m |
The gap is 2.0× in cash, and it is not only the cash: 3.43 months against 2.06 months. The ratio of bonus to salary itself differs by employer size. Employers with fewer than 10 staff are outside the survey.
Not sure how this works in Japan? Bonuses: how the system works.
Retirement payouts ・ Bonuses ・ Starting salaries ・ Overtime hours ・ Paid leave uptake ・ Men's parental leave ・ Women in management ・ all benchmarks.
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2023 (e-Stat). Annual bonuses and other special payments, and scheduled monthly pay, compiled by Corpus. Not provided or endorsed by any government agency. Japanese edition: ボーナスの相場.