What is considered good salary in Japan

[Ddddd]

I think that this is relevant here:

https://www.robertwalters.co.jp/con...ntry/japan/files/salary-survey/E-Book2018.pdf

 

[Ddddd]

Do they also take you out for p4p sessions at their cost?

I have the impression that, when your employer takes you out for p4p, you will pay back somehow in the future...

I don't think it is a good idea to share this things with colleagues, it can backfire really easy. IMHO.

 

[ShikkokuNoSenshi]

I think that this is relevant here:

https://www.robertwalters.co.jp/con...ntry/japan/files/salary-survey/E-Book2018.pdf

Holy mother of God! This is real treasure! I never even imagine to receive something like that report starting this post. Now I know for what numbers I should negotiate. Really FeelsGoodMan with this report.

 

[Frenchy]

A bigger one. Always. I bet no one will ever give you the opposite answer

 

[Durg50]

If you are 21 and you have a job that pays enough for you to survive, then you are off the boat and on the beach. You now need to figure out your next move. You should be aiming for a spot where you can learn something specific so you can command a better salary at your next move after that. If you are getting close to 30 and you are not at least at 10 million, well then you either don’t care about money or you fucked up. Go for 20 mil by 30. Post again when you get there.

Outside of investment banking there are very few 30 year olds earning 20 million unless they (succesfully) start their own company or are in the top 5 or so % in a commission driven sales environment.

 

[Durg50]

Holy mother of God! This is real treasure! I never even imagine to receive something like that report starting this post. Now I know for what numbers I should negotiate. Really FeelsGoodMan with this report.

These numbers are pulled out of the arse of hungover 23 year old recruitment consultants working at robert walters. They bare some semblance of truth but their methods dont hold up to much scrutiny.

 

[Maxblack]

Do they also take you out for p4p sessions at their cost?

Happened to me once. Sales guy took me and a couple other new dudes to a place in roppongi that no longer exists. Picked a girl. Sat on a couch. She sat on my lap straddling me cowgirl style. Had a conversation. Lights dimmed. She undid her neck strap, pulled down her dress top, rubbed her boobs in my face. I didn't know what to do so we kept having a nice chat. Lights came back up. She replaced her top. Repeated again. Looked over and sales guy was burying his tongue in his girls' mouth, his hand in her crotch.

I was more confused than anything.
Then we got ramen.
Sales guy paid. I kept him outta trouble at work.

Another time boss took whole desk out to Climax in roppongi. I got a nasty attitude Russian girl who verbally abused me all night because I wouldn't go immediately for lap dances. It wasn't fun. I left early.

So yeah, sometimes boss pays.

And yes, I'm one of those overpaid "wall street" guys. More money than sense I reckon.

 

[MikeH]

They bare some semblance of truth but their methods dont hold up to much scrutiny.

Exactly, as in many years their method included asking me. I lied with my heart's content, in all directions.

 

[warubuta]

Outside of investment banking there are very few 30 year olds earning 20 million unless they (succesfully) start their own company or are in the top 5 or so % in a commission driven sales environment.

True but he should shoot for the stars!

 

[Wwanderer]

Does anyone have a link to actual data on the compensation (or salary...not the same of course) distribution in Tokyo, i.e., the fraction of the work force making more than X yen per year? That's already perhaps asking too much, but it would be cool to have it separately for foreign and Japanese employees too.

-Ww

 

[Maxblack]

I think that this is relevant here:

https://www.robertwalters.co.jp/con...ntry/japan/files/salary-survey/E-Book2018.pdf

Looks generally accurate to me. Perhaps even on the low side for some positions like mid to high level control functions, assuming truly useful Japanese in a business environment.

Pro tip: even if you have a rare to unique skill (underwater welding, cobol proficiency, multi-club juggling, etc) you will always get paid more with more functional languages in a county where said language is relevant.
TLDR: learn Japanese.

 

[Wwanderer]

cobol proficiency

Whoa!!

-Ww

 

[MikeH]

Whoa!!

Exactly! At the turn of the century some of my old buddies back in the old country were pulling 2-3 times the normal salary working with huge Cobol systems. Why? Because the people able and willing to touch any of that were very scarce.

Though they admitted that a big chunk of the extra salary is going towards hard liqueur in the hopes of trying to forgot what they do for living.

 

[warubuta]

Holy mother of God! This is real treasure! I never even imagine to receive something like that report starting this post. Now I know for what numbers I should negotiate. Really FeelsGoodMan with this report.

Yes! A real treasure! I suggest you print it out, highlight all of the positions that you might want, and wave it in front of you bosses face. "Look boss! I like this job! This report says you have to pay me 10 million yen!"

 

[warubuta]

Exactly, as in many years their method included asking me. I lied with my heart's content, in all directions.

You let those Robert Walters scumbags through your door?

 

[Hofmeyer]

Friend of mine in his mid-twenties makes 900k give or take per month. On the downside if he fucks up his company loses billions.

 

[e-smile]

Greetings TAGers. I am living in Japan for 2 years as for 10 days ago and what always interested me is what considered good salary here. I asked a bunch of people whom I can think as good acquaintance of mine and treat theirs answers as true. And what confused me they have told very different numbers. It even came to point where 2 persons with almost same position, same education and similar time in company had difference in paychecks for 2 times. So as for those answers I couldn't get normal distribution graph. So it would be really cool to hear opinions of TAGers since people here usually spent more money on entertainment then average japanese salaryman.

By now median I was able to calculate is 5 000 000 yen per year. I.e. above that value salary is considered good here. Is my impression correct? Would be really cool to hear some values and maybe some arguments. Cheers.

each one has his own needs and thus own definition of "sufficient" or "good" which should be more than sufficient. so I can only tell you about my own and it matches yours : starting from 5M a year is what I'd call a good salary in Japan.

 

[warubuta]

each one has his own needs and thus own definition of "sufficient" or "good" which should be more than sufficient. so I can only tell you about my own and it matches yours : starting from 5M a year is what I'd call a good salary in Japan.

A 21 year old male can actually have a great lifestyle on 5 million yen in Tokyo. Just don't be an English teacher and be at least somewhat physically attractive or at least presentable to Japanese women. And have a job that has a chance to get you to at least 8 million before you are 30 and hopelfully more as you develop your chops - whatever they might be. 5mil at 21 and 5mil at 30 are two completely different things. To be happy in Tokyo at 21 you need two things 1) A job that is interesting and has potential to develop into a real career that pays real money. 2) Lots of free sex. Even if you dont have those two things, you might still be happy here, but.....I can't relate.

 

[vondoom]

i would be happy if id earn close to 5mio a year... despite working six days a week...

also, in every company here i have been, or applied to, being a foreigner never had any upside, or downside...
never applied to a foreign company though (as far as i know...)

 

[MikeH]

also, in every company here i have been, or applied to, being a foreigner never had any upside

Then you are applying to the wrong positions. You need to use what you have.

 

[vondoom]

well i just apply to whatever i can find... its not that i can be picky, to me visa is the most important thing, at least until i got pr, or something else that gets me a little more “freedom”...
so whenever i apply, i usually see the conditions the companies offer... and they dont change when i go to interviews, or get replies otherwise... so im quite sure there is no secret contract for foreigners or something like that...

 

[e-smile]

A 21 year old male can actually have a great lifestyle on 5 million yen in Tokyo. Just don't be an English teacher and be at least somewhat physically attractive or at least presentable to Japanese women. And have a job that has a chance to get you to at least 8 million before you are 30 and hopelfully more as you develop your chops - whatever they might be. 5mil at 21 and 5mil at 30 are two completely different things. To be happy in Tokyo at 21 you need two things 1) A job that is interesting and has potential to develop into a real career that pays real money. 2) Lots of free sex. Even if you dont have those two things, you might still be happy here, but.....I can't relate.

thank you for your advice

 

[MikeH]

You let those Robert Walters scumbags through your door?

Come on, even a pig would not do that.

 

[Sudsy]

Come on, even a pig would not do that.

Oh, I don't know... I've always got time for the rep they send around to our office.

She's about 155cm tall, cute, curvy, and favours short skirts.....

 

[psd]

Exactly! At the turn of the century some of my old buddies back in the old country were pulling 2-3 times the normal salary working with huge Cobol systems. Why? Because the people able and willing to touch any of that were very scarce.

Though they admitted that a big chunk of the extra salary is going towards hard liqueur in the hopes of trying to forgot what they do for living.

I'd code COBOL in return for 円, my personal life is satisfying enough that I don't really need any particular job satisfaction.