Japan's Regular Employee Monthly Salary Hits Record High of 340,000 Yen... Gender Wage Gap at All-Time Low

by Oh Suyon

Published 25 Mar.2026 16:05(KST)

The average monthly salary for regular employees in Japan has reached a record high of 340,600 yen (approximately 3,213,527 won). At the same time, the wage gap between men and women has narrowed to its lowest level ever.

According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s “2025 Basic Survey on Wage Structure” released on March 25, the average monthly salary for regular and other general employees was 340,600 yen, up 3.1% from the previous year.

Shinjuku Street, Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

This is the highest level since the survey began in 1976.

Notably, the wage gap between men and women has significantly decreased. Male employees saw their salaries rise by 2.8% to 373,400 yen, while female employees’ salaries increased by 3.9% to 285,900 yen. Although a difference still remains, the gap is the narrowest since the survey began. When the male wage is indexed at 100, the female wage level was 76.6, an increase of 0.8 points from the previous year.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare analyzed that factors such as the expansion of regular employment for women and the increasing proportion of women in managerial positions at or above the section chief level contributed to this trend.

By industry, the electricity, gas, and water supply sector reported the highest average salary at 444,000 yen, followed by academic research and professional and technical services at 440,300 yen. The accommodation and food service sector recorded the lowest average salary at 277,200 yen.

However, the wage gap among companies by size has widened. Large companies with 1,000 or more regular employees saw average salaries increase by 5.7% to 385,100 yen. In contrast, medium-sized companies recorded a 1.0% increase to 326,200 yen, and small-sized companies reported a 2.1% rise to 305,600 yen.