Japanese Salary Data
A TV special about yearly earnings for certain occupations in Japan aired on Sunday night, and a Japanese blogger recorded some of the figures mentioned. Here is a partial translation of the list (currency converted at 100 yen to the US dollar):
| New TV “talent” | $9,000 |
| Stuntman | $20,000 |
| Bicycle taxi driver | $25,000 |
| Shinto priest (27-years-old) | $35,200 |
| Ice cream salesperson | $40,000 |
| Noh actor (25 year veteran) | $45,000-50,000 |
| Truck driver | $45,000 |
| Pharmacist | $45,000 |
| Limousine Driver | $50,000 |
| Portrait artist | $50,000 |
| Nurse | $50,000 |
| Carpenter specializing in temple construction | $60,000 |
| Dentist (1 year after beginning a practice) | $60,000 |
| Beautician/Hairdresser | $65,000 |
| Hostess | $70,000 |
| Creator of food samples | $70,000 |
| Fisherman | $70,000 |
| Calligrapher (7 year veteran) | $90,000 |
| Food coordinator | $100,000 |
| Takoyaki shop owner | $100,000 |
| Handyman | $120,000 |
| Farmer | $120,000 |
| Handwriting analysis expert | $200,000 |
| Gynecologist | $240,000 |
| Politician | $300,000 |
| Ramen store owner | $300,000 |
| Sumo wrestler (Yokozuna Wakanohana) | $324,000 |
| Famous beautician/hairdresser | $450,000 |
| Manga creator | $500,000 |
| Lawyer | $500,000 |
| Prime Minister | $514,000 |
| Dentist specializing in advanced techniques | $700,000-$800,000 |
I was only able to catch a few minutes of the program, but from what I saw it was obvious that the figures were not averages for each occupation, nor could many of them be considered representative of typical earnings. The TV show just sent a crew to interview one person from each occupation, using that single person’s earnings as an example of how much his/her occupation earns in a year. Some, such as the ramen store owner who actually owns 3 popular stores in downtown Tokyo, probably gave viewers a very skewed image of how much one can expect to earn in such a profession.
Those looking for more accurate salary information might want to check out Claytonian’s latest blog post, which he translates some average salaries he came across in a new book.
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