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Waiter / Waitress Average Salary in Japan 2024

How much money does a person working as Waiter / Waitress make in Japan?


Average Monthly Salary
163,000 JPY
( 1,950,000 JPY yearly)

LOW
79,800
JPY
AVERAGE
163,000
JPY
HIGH
254,000
JPY
All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

A person working as Waiter / Waitress in Japan typically earns around 163,000 JPY. Salaries range from 79,800 JPY (lowest) to 254,000 JPY (highest).


Salary Variance

This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Waiter / Waitress salaries in Japan vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.



Waiter / Waitress Pay Scale and Salaries in Japan

Median and salary distribution Japan Waiter / Waitress monthly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
151,000 JPY or more
10% of people earn
133,000 to 151,000 JPY
20% of people earn
94,600 JPY or less
65% of people earn
94,600 to 133,000 JPY
Minimum Salary
79,800 JPY
Median
152,000 JPY
Maximum
254,000 JPY




Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries for the position Waiter / Waitress in Japan range from 79,800 JPY (starting salary) to 254,000 JPY (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.

  • Median Salary

    With a median salary of 152,000 JPY, half of the professionals who work as Waiter / Waitress in Japan earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Waiter / Waitress in Japan earn less than 124,000 JPY, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 174,000 JPY while 25% earn more.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Waiter / Waitress in Japan compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 94,600 JPY to 133,000 JPY. About 20% of salaries are below the 94,600 JPY mark, while 10% fall within the range of 133,000 JPY to 151,000 JPY. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 151,000 JPY.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Waiter / Waitress / Japan

How do experience and age affect pay?

0 - 2 Years
94,600 JPY
2 - 5 Years+29%
122,000 JPY
5 - 10 Years+38%
168,000 JPY
10 - 15 Years+24%
208,000 JPY
15 - 20 Years+7%
223,000 JPY
20+ Years+7%
237,000 JPY
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by years of experience monthly Japan Waiter / Waitress
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The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Waiter / Waitress and this is what we found.


All salary figures displayed here are per month except when noted otherwise.

Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 94,600 JPY.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 122,000 JPY, 29% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 168,000 JPY, 38% more than someone with two to five years of experience.

Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 208,000 JPY, 24% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.

If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 223,000 JPY, 7% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 237,000 JPY, 7% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.

On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.

Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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Salary Comparison By Education / Waiter / Waitress / Japan

How do education levels affect salaries?

Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Waiter / Waitress.

High School
122,000 JPY
Certificate or Diploma+43%
174,000 JPY
Bachelor's Degree+38%
240,000 JPY
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by education level monthly Japan Waiter / Waitress
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We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Waiter / Waitress in order to make a comparison.


Level 1: High School

Employees at this education level have an average salary of 122,000 JPY.


Level 2: Certificate or Diploma

At this level, the average salary becomes 174,000 JPY, 43% more than the previous level.


Level 3: Bachelor's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 240,000 JPY, 38% more than the previous level.



Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Education Level
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Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Waiter / Waitress / Japan

Salary comparison by gender Japan Waiter / Waitress monthly
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Waiter / Waitress in Japan, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.

Male
158,000 JPY
Female+6%
167,000 JPY
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in Japan for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender monthly Japan
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Waiter / Waitress / Japan

How much are annual salary increments in Japan for individuals working as Waiter / Waitress? How often do employees get salary raises?

Individuals working as Waiter / Waitress in Japan are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 9% every 16 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 8% granted to employees every 16 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate Japan Waiter / Waitress
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

Japan / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate Japan
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The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in Japan is 6%.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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Salary Packages and Schemes

Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.



Bonus and Incentive Rates / Waiter / Waitress / Japan

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Japan Waiter / Waitress
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68% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 32% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
32%
No Bonus
68%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.


What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting Cast

Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.

Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.

Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Average Hourly Wage / Waiter / Waitress / Japan


940 JPY per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Waiter / Waitress in Japan is 940 JPY.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Waiter / Waitress in Japan is 460 JPY. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary comparison with similar jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering-100%
Airbnb Property Manager572,000 JPY+250%
All Rounder224,000 JPY+38%
Assistant Executive Housekeeper161,000 JPY-1%
Assistant Food and Beverage Controller314,000 JPY+93%
Assistant Food and Beverage Director686,000 JPY+320%
Assistant Hospitality Manager714,000 JPY+340%
Assistant Storekeeper143,000 JPY-12%
Assistant Tour Manager337,000 JPY+110%
Baker and Pastrycook185,000 JPY+14%
Bakery Manager408,000 JPY+150%
Bakery Superintendent267,000 JPY+64%
Banquet Captain210,000 JPY+29%
Banquet Manager285,000 JPY+75%
Banquet Server167,000 JPY+3%
Bar Attendant180,000 JPY+11%
Bar Manager343,000 JPY+110%
Bar Supervisor238,000 JPY+46%
Barista205,000 JPY+26%
Bartender214,000 JPY+31%
Bellman164,000 JPY+1%
Beverage Manager440,000 JPY+170%
Bistro Attendant188,000 JPY+15%
Buffet Chef316,000 JPY+94%
Buffet Host180,000 JPY+11%
Buffet Manager366,000 JPY+120%
Butcher and Slaughterer138,000 JPY-15%
Cafeteria Assistant177,000 JPY+9%
Cafeteria Manager317,000 JPY+95%
Cafeteria Supervisor231,000 JPY+42%
Cake Decorator201,000 JPY+23%
Casino Shift Manager584,000 JPY+260%
Chain Store Customer Support284,000 JPY+74%
Chef325,000 JPY+100%
Chef De Cuisine444,000 JPY+170%
Club Manager637,000 JPY+290%
Cluster Director778,000 JPY+380%
Cluster Revenue Manager614,000 JPY+280%
Cocktail Server184,000 JPY+13%
Coffee Shop Manager592,000 JPY+260%
Concierge160,000 JPY-2%
Confectionery Baker209,000 JPY+28%
Conference and Sales Coordinator303,000 JPY+86%
Conference Services Manager369,000 JPY+130%
Cook292,000 JPY+79%
Corporate Sous Chef468,000 JPY+190%
Corporate Travel Consultant483,000 JPY+200%
Croupier236,000 JPY+45%
Culinary Assistant145,000 JPY-11%
Culinary Associate146,000 JPY-10%
Culinary Tour Guide409,000 JPY+150%
Demi Chef352,000 JPY+120%
Dietary Aide334,000 JPY+110%
Dining Room Supervisor315,000 JPY+93%
Dishwasher142,000 JPY-13%
Duty Manager401,000 JPY+150%
Events Coordinator252,000 JPY+55%
Executive Chef382,000 JPY+130%
Executive Pastry Chef304,000 JPY+87%
Fast Food Cook278,000 JPY+71%
Fast Food Shift Supervisor284,000 JPY+74%
Fine Dining Cook494,000 JPY+200%
Fine Dining Restaurant Chef480,000 JPY+190%
Fleet Manager863,000 JPY+430%
Food and Beverage Manager625,000 JPY+280%
Food and Beverage Trend Analyst440,000 JPY+170%
Food Consultant518,000 JPY+220%
Food Photographer357,000 JPY+120%
Food Policy Analyst483,000 JPY+200%
Food Safety Auditor452,000 JPY+180%
Food Safety Compliance Manager477,000 JPY+190%
Food Safety Coordinator385,000 JPY+140%
Food Server161,000 JPY-1%
Food Service Director609,000 JPY+270%
Food Service Manager696,000 JPY+330%
Food Service Sales396,000 JPY+140%
Food Service Worker171,000 JPY+5%
Food Stylist269,000 JPY+65%
Food Sustainability Consultant478,000 JPY+190%
Front Desk Agent209,000 JPY+28%
Front Desk Clerk188,000 JPY+15%
Front Office Manager370,000 JPY+130%
Gastronomy Consultant379,000 JPY+130%
Guest Service Executive533,000 JPY+230%
Guest Service Representative219,000 JPY+35%
Head Chef 389,000 JPY+140%
Head Concierge266,000 JPY+63%
Hospitality Director991,000 JPY+510%
Hospitality Technology Specialist431,000 JPY+160%
Hostess / Host192,000 JPY+18%
Hotel Desk Clerk195,000 JPY+20%
Hotel Maid140,000 JPY-14%
Hotel Manager946,000 JPY+480%
Hotel Revenue Manager612,000 JPY+280%
Hotel Sales Manager687,000 JPY+320%
Hotel Service Supervisor536,000 JPY+230%
Hotel Staff171,000 JPY+5%
Inventory Coordinator208,000 JPY+28%
Kitchen Manager328,000 JPY+100%
Kitchen Staff181,000 JPY+11%
Kitchen Supervisor285,000 JPY+75%
Line Cook301,000 JPY+85%
Luggage Porter141,000 JPY-13%
Molecular Gastronomist469,000 JPY+190%
Motel Manager547,000 JPY+240%
Pastry Chef286,000 JPY+76%
Pastrycooking and Baking Assistant188,000 JPY+15%
Personal Chef406,000 JPY+150%
Production Operator283,000 JPY+74%
Quality, Health and Safety Coordinator316,000 JPY+94%
Receptionist192,000 JPY+18%
Regional Restaurant Manager781,000 JPY+380%
Restaurant Manager670,000 JPY+310%
Restaurant Server162,000 JPY-0%
Room Reservations Manager666,000 JPY+310%
Room Service Manager637,000 JPY+290%
Sous Chef368,000 JPY+130%
Special Events Coordinator392,000 JPY+140%
Supervisor of Food Services428,000 JPY+160%
Sustainable Catering Coordinator406,000 JPY+150%
Sustainable Tourism Consultant433,000 JPY+170%
Tour Consultant488,000 JPY+200%
Tour Guide313,000 JPY+92%
Tour Manager436,000 JPY+170%
Travel Agent323,000 JPY+98%
Travel Consultant501,000 JPY+210%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Tourism Specialist408,000 JPY+150%
Waiter / Waitress163,000 JPY+0%
Wedding Planner510,000 JPY+210%

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Tokyo178,000 JPY

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Japan is 4% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
506,000 JPY
Public Sector+4%
527,000 JPY
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Waiter / Waitress in Japan?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 152,000 JPY and 174,000 JPY. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary for a careers like Waiter / Waitress in Japan ranges from 79,800 JPY to 124,000 JPY. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary


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