HOME BROWSE SALARIES ARTICLES BEST PAYING JOBS SUBMIT SALARY
Browse Salaries
Best Paying Jobs
Articles
Submit Salary
Salary Increase Letters

Graphic Designer Average Salary in Japan 2024

How much money does a person working as Graphic Designer make in Japan?


Average Monthly Salary
345,000 JPY
( 4,140,000 JPY yearly)

LOW
159,000
JPY
AVERAGE
345,000
JPY
HIGH
549,000
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 Graphic Designer in Japan typically earns around 345,000 JPY. Salaries range from 159,000 JPY (lowest) to 549,000 JPY (highest).


Salary Variance

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



Graphic Designer Pay Scale and Salaries in Japan

Median and salary distribution Japan Graphic Designer monthly
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/japan/advertising-graphic-design-events/graphic-designer/median-and-salary-distribution-monthly-japan-graphic-designer.jpg

Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
328,000 JPY or more
10% of people earn
287,000 to 328,000 JPY
20% of people earn
198,000 JPY or less
65% of people earn
198,000 to 287,000 JPY
Minimum Salary
159,000 JPY
Median
330,000 JPY
Maximum
549,000 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 Graphic Designer in Japan range from 159,000 JPY (starting salary) to 549,000 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 330,000 JPY, half of the professionals who work as Graphic Designer 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 Graphic Designer in Japan earn less than 266,000 JPY, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 380,000 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 Graphic Designer in Japan compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 198,000 JPY to 287,000 JPY. About 20% of salaries are below the 198,000 JPY mark, while 10% fall within the range of 287,000 JPY to 328,000 JPY. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 328,000 JPY.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Graphic Designer / Japan

How do experience and age affect pay?

0 - 2 Years
180,000 JPY
2 - 5 Years+34%
241,000 JPY
5 - 10 Years+48%
356,000 JPY
10 - 15 Years+22%
434,000 JPY
15 - 20 Years+9%
473,000 JPY
20+ Years+8%
512,000 JPY
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by years of experience monthly Japan Graphic Designer
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/japan/advertising-graphic-design-events/graphic-designer/salary-comparison-by-years-of-experience-monthly-japan-graphic-designer.jpg

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 Graphic Designer 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 180,000 JPY.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 241,000 JPY, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 356,000 JPY, 48% 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 434,000 JPY, 22% 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 473,000 JPY, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 512,000 JPY, 8% 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
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/images/salary-by-experience.jpg

Salary Comparison By Education / Graphic Designer / Japan

How do education levels affect salaries?

Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Graphic Designer.

High School
221,000 JPY
Certificate or Diploma+18%
260,000 JPY
Bachelor's Degree+45%
377,000 JPY
Master's Degree+31%
495,000 JPY
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by education level monthly Japan Graphic Designer
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/japan/advertising-graphic-design-events/graphic-designer/salary-comparison-by-education-level-monthly-japan-graphic-designer.jpg

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 Graphic Designer in order to make a comparison.


Level 1: High School

Employees at this education level have an average salary of 221,000 JPY.


Level 2: Certificate or Diploma

At this level, the average salary becomes 260,000 JPY, 18% more than the previous level.


Level 3: Bachelor's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 377,000 JPY, 45% more than the previous level.


Level 4: Master's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 495,000 JPY, 31% more than the previous level.



Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?

A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Japan costs anywhere from 2,580,000 JPY to 7,750,000 JPY and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.

You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.

Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.

If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.


Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Education Level
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/images/salary-comparison-by-education.jpg


Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Graphic Designer / Japan

Salary comparison by gender Japan Graphic Designer monthly
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/japan/advertising-graphic-design-events/graphic-designer/salary-comparison-by-gender-monthly-japan-graphic-designer.jpg

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 Graphic Designer in Japan, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 7%.

Male
358,000 JPY
Female-7%
333,000 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
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/japan/salary-comparison-by-gender-monthly-japan.jpg


Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Graphic Designer / Japan

How much are annual salary increments in Japan for individuals working as Graphic Designer? How often do employees get salary raises?

Individuals working as Graphic Designer in Japan are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% 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 Graphic Designer
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/japan/advertising-graphic-design-events/graphic-designer/annual-salary-increment-rate-japan-graphic-designer.jpg


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
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/japan/annual-salary-increment-rate-japan.jpg

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
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/images/salary-increment-world.jpg

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 / Graphic Designer / Japan

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Japan Graphic Designer
Share This Chart
        Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/japan/advertising-graphic-design-events/graphic-designer/annual-salary-bonus-rate-japan-graphic-designer.jpg

64% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 36% 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
36%
No Bonus
64%

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 / Graphic Designer / Japan


1,990 JPY per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Graphic Designer in Japan is 1,990 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 Graphic Designer in Japan is 920 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
Advertising / Graphic Design / Events-100%
Advertisement Fraud Analyst564,000 JPY+63%
Advertising Account Executive588,000 JPY+70%
Advertising Account Manager672,000 JPY+95%
Advertising Account Planner323,000 JPY-6%
Advertising and Promotions Manager854,000 JPY+150%
Advertising Coordinator431,000 JPY+25%
Advertising Data Analyst580,000 JPY+68%
Advertising Manager876,000 JPY+150%
Advertising Operations Manager921,000 JPY+170%
Advertising Sales Director948,000 JPY+170%
Advertising Strategic Planner566,000 JPY+64%
Advertising Team Leader494,000 JPY+43%
Animation Director660,000 JPY+91%
Animator398,000 JPY+15%
Art Director551,000 JPY+60%
Art Manager506,000 JPY+46%
Artificial Intelligence Advertising Analyst572,000 JPY+66%
Artist425,000 JPY+23%
Artworker322,000 JPY-7%
Assistant Art Director396,000 JPY+15%
Audio and Video Equipment Technician316,000 JPY-9%
Audio Engineer388,000 JPY+12%
Audiosual Technician303,000 JPY-12%
Branding Consultant664,000 JPY+92%
Broadcast Administrator548,000 JPY+59%
Catering Sales357,000 JPY+3%
Catering Trainer418,000 JPY+21%
Color Consultant333,000 JPY-4%
Commercial and Industrial Designer317,000 JPY-8%
Conference Organiser395,000 JPY+14%
Content and Media Production Lead609,000 JPY+76%
CopyWriter355,000 JPY+3%
Creative Content Strategist680,000 JPY+97%
Creative Designer397,000 JPY+15%
Creative Director524,000 JPY+52%
Creative Technologist619,000 JPY+79%
Crowd Management Specialist543,000 JPY+57%
Design Strategist547,000 JPY+58%
Designer 292,000 JPY-15%
Desktop Publisher248,000 JPY-28%
Digital Campaign Manager573,000 JPY+66%
Digital Media Manager624,000 JPY+81%
Digital Media Strategist629,000 JPY+82%
Director of Events905,000 JPY+160%
Director of Graphic Design504,000 JPY+46%
Director of Social Media Marketing657,000 JPY+90%
Event Experience Designer565,000 JPY+64%
Event Security Specialist491,000 JPY+42%
Event Technology Consultant510,000 JPY+48%
Event Technology Integration Specialist482,000 JPY+40%
Events and Promotions Manager870,000 JPY+150%
Events Director887,000 JPY+160%
Exhibit Designer429,000 JPY+24%
Exhibit Display Coordinator414,000 JPY+20%
Exhibit Display Manager555,000 JPY+61%
Experiential Designer519,000 JPY+50%
Finisher266,000 JPY-23%
Gamification Specialist541,000 JPY+57%
Graphic Artist327,000 JPY-5%
Graphic Design Specialist410,000 JPY+19%
Graphic Designer345,000 JPY-0%
Graphics Artist346,000 JPY+0%
Graphics Design Supervisor445,000 JPY+29%
Group Creative Director569,000 JPY+65%
Imagery Analyst324,000 JPY-6%
Imaging Technologist326,000 JPY-6%
Immersive Storyteller447,000 JPY+29%
Interaction Designer272,000 JPY-21%
Lead Generation Specialist682,000 JPY+97%
Media Analyst433,000 JPY+25%
Media Executive568,000 JPY+64%
Media Planner455,000 JPY+32%
Media Production Coordinator385,000 JPY+11%
Media Production Manager698,000 JPY+100%
Media Project Manager728,000 JPY+110%
Media Relations Representative573,000 JPY+66%
Media Sales Executive718,000 JPY+110%
Meeting and Event Planner422,000 JPY+22%
Mobile Advertising Specialist680,000 JPY+97%
Motion Graphic Artist426,000 JPY+23%
Motion Graphics Designer429,000 JPY+24%
Multimedia Artist330,000 JPY-4%
Multimedia Specialist326,000 JPY-6%
NFT Designer380,000 JPY+10%
NFT Specialist412,000 JPY+19%
Photographer308,000 JPY-11%
PPC Campaign Manager568,000 JPY+64%
Print Production Manager613,000 JPY+77%
Product and Brand Manager803,000 JPY+130%
Sales Promotion Manager813,000 JPY+140%
Search Engine Optimization Specialist (SEO)373,000 JPY+8%
Sketch Artist388,000 JPY+12%
Social Media Event Strategist444,000 JPY+29%
Social Media Executive710,000 JPY+110%
Social Media Graphic Designer387,000 JPY+12%
Social Media Manager647,000 JPY+87%
Social Media Marketing Manager649,000 JPY+88%
Social Media Strategist656,000 JPY+90%
Special Events Supervisor497,000 JPY+44%
Technical Typist230,000 JPY-33%
User Experience UX Designer365,000 JPY+6%
UX Designer326,000 JPY-6%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Advertiser495,000 JPY+43%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Event Producer442,000 JPY+28%
Virtual / Augmented Reality Showroom Designer410,000 JPY+19%
Virtual Events Planner431,000 JPY+25%
Virtual Trade Show Manager414,000 JPY+20%
Voice Search Optimization Specialist561,000 JPY+62%
Web Accessibility Designer436,000 JPY+26%
Web3 Designer428,000 JPY+24%
Webinar Designer465,000 JPY+35%

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Tokyo372,000 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 Graphic Designer in Japan?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 330,000 JPY and 380,000 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 Graphic Designer in Japan ranges from 159,000 JPY to 266,000 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


Browse Salaries

Salary Increase Letters

Best Paying Jobs
Home BROWSE SALARIES ARTICLES BEST PAYING JOBS Salary Comparison Arabic

©Salary Explorer 2024