Key facts
- Foreign nationals working in Japan earned an average of 292,400 yen ($1,831) per month in 2025.
- This marks a 6.4% increase from the previous year.
- Japan's spring labor negotiations resulted in average wage hikes exceeding 5%.
- Labor shortages and inflation are key drivers behind the wage increases.
- Foreign workers on professional and technical visas earn an average of 292,000 yen per month.
Foreign nationals working in Japan saw their average monthly earnings rise by 6.4% to 292,400 yen ($1,831) in 2025, according to a government survey. This increase aligns with a broader trend of wage hikes across Japan, with spring labor negotiations yielding average increases of over 5% for companies of all sizes, including small and medium-sized enterprises.
These wage increases are attributed to a shift towards an inflationary economy and intensifying labor shortages, exacerbated by Japan's declining birth rate. Major employers, guided by Keidanren's policy, have proactively agreed to raise base pay to attract and retain talent, a move that SMEs are increasingly forced to follow.
While foreign workers on professional and technical visas earn an average of 292,000 yen per month, this is still about 12% below the national average. This gap is largely explained by differences in tenure, as the Japanese pay system heavily rewards seniority, with foreign workers averaging 3.3 years of service compared to 12.4 years for the overall workforce. The national average wage itself saw a significant 3.8% increase in the 2024 survey.