SSW Japan Salary per Month (2026): Pay, Deductions and Take-Home

There is no fixed SSW salary in Japan. By law, a Specified Skilled Worker must be paid at least what a Japanese worker gets for the same job, and never less than the prefecture's minimum wage. In 2026 that minimum runs from ¥1,085 to ¥1,280 an hour, so a full-time month starts at roughly ¥182,000 to ¥215,000 before deductions. Your field, your prefecture and your overtime decide the rest.

This article explains what drives SSW pay, then walks through one month from gross pay to take-home pay. All amounts in our example are estimates. Your real payslip depends on your contract.

What decides your SSW salary?

Four things set your monthly pay. The first two are legal floors. The last two are where pay really differs.

1. The equal-pay rule

Japan's Immigration Services Agency (ISA) sets the rules for SSW employment contracts. One rule is clear: the pay of an SSW worker must be equal to or higher than the pay of a Japanese worker doing the same work. The employer must also not treat you worse in pay, training or benefits (such as company housing or a staff canteen) because you are foreign.

The ISA guidelines explain how employers must prove this. If a Japanese worker has similar skills, the employer compares your job and responsibility with theirs. If there is no such worker, the employer compares you with the company's pay rules or with the closest Japanese role. The employer submits a document explaining this with the visa application.

2. The regional minimum wage

Every worker in Japan, of any nationality, must get at least the minimum wage of the prefecture where they work. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) publishes new rates each autumn. The fiscal year 2026 rates took effect between 1 October and 2 December 2026:

168 hours is 21 days of 8 hours. Your contract may have fewer or more scheduled hours. Check the official MHLW list for your prefecture's exact rate and start date.

3. Your field and employer

The 19 SSW fields pay differently. So do big and small employers in the same field. Because of the equal-pay rule, the best guide is what the company pays its Japanese staff in the same job. Ask for it.

4. Overtime and shifts

Overtime (残業, zangyō) can add a lot. The Labour Standards Act applies to SSW workers, and MHLW sets these minimum premiums:

• Overtime beyond 8 hours a day or 40 a week: at least +25%
• Late night, 10 pm to 5 am: at least +25%
• Work on your legal day off: at least +35%
• Overtime beyond 60 hours in a month: at least +50%

Overtime is not guaranteed. A job that had lots of overtime last year may have little this year. Plan your budget on base pay only.

A worked example: gross to take-home pay

Here is one month for an imaginary worker. This is an estimate to show how it works, not a promise of any salary.

• Works in Tokyo, is single and under 40
• Paid ¥1,200 an hour, 168 scheduled hours = ¥201,600
• Plus 10 hours of overtime at ¥1,500 (+25%) = ¥15,000
• Gross pay: ¥216,600

So about ¥36,000, or 17%, goes on insurance, pension and tax. A few points:

• Insurance uses a "standard monthly amount". Health insurance and pension are not worked out on your exact pay. They use a band set by the insurer (here, ¥220,000 for pay from ¥210,000 to ¥230,000).
• Rates differ. Each prefecture has its own health insurance rate. Some big companies have their own health insurance with other rates. Agriculture, fishery and construction pay 0.6% employment insurance, not 0.5%.
• Age 40 and over adds nursing care insurance (1.62%, shared with the employer).
• Resident tax starts later. It is charged to people living in a city on 1 January, based on last year's income. In your second year in Japan it is usually deducted from June.
• Pension is not always lost money. Foreign workers who leave Japan after at least six months of contributions can usually claim a lump-sum withdrawal payment within two years. The Japan Pension Service sets the conditions, so check its official page before you leave.

What can you save? Rent, food and money sent home

Take-home pay is not savings. After deductions, three costs decide what you can send home.

Rent and utilities. Many SSW employers arrange housing and deduct the rent. The ISA rules limit this. If the employer rents the flat, it may charge you no more than the actual rent, divided by the people living there. It cannot pass on the deposit, key money (礼金), agent fee or renewal fee to you. Utilities must also be the real cost shared by the residents. You must understand and agree to these amounts in writing.

Food. If the employer provides meals, the charge must also be reasonable: no more than the cost of the food, or the same price Japanese staff pay in the canteen. Cooking for yourself is usually the cheapest choice.

Sending money home. Transfer services charge a fee and add a margin to the exchange rate. Compare the amount your family actually receives, not only the fee. Use a licensed bank or transfer company.

Here is a simple way to plan. The numbers below are example amounts only, not averages. Replace them with the figures in your own job offer.

Remember the first months are expensive: bedding, kitchen items, winter clothes. And from your second year, resident tax will reduce your take-home pay.

SSW (i) vs SSW (ii): does pay go up?

The official SSW portal (ssw.go.jp) describes two levels:

• SSW (i) allows up to five years in total and does not allow family members to join you.
• SSW (ii) needs a higher skill level. It has no upper limit on the length of stay and allows family members to come. It is open in fewer fields.

The government does not publish a pay scale for either level. What the rules do say is that pay must match a Japanese worker with similar skill and responsibility. The ISA guidelines give one example: a former technical intern who finished Technical Intern Training (ii) must be treated as having about three years of experience, and paid accordingly. So as your skill, experience and responsibility grow, your pay should be compared with more experienced Japanese staff. How much more depends on the employer.

Before you sign: the questions that protect your pay

Your employment conditions document (雇用条件書, koyō jōkensho) must be in a language you fully understand, and you must sign it only after you understand it. Use it to check every number.

If something in the offer is unclear, ask in writing before you sign. A good employer will answer. Also read our guide to the cost of getting to Japan before you pay anyone.

The first step is the Japanese test

No salary is possible without the SSW visa. For most people, that starts with two tests: the skills test for your field, and a Japanese test. On the JFT-Basic you need A2.2, a score of 200 or more. See the SSW visa guide for the full requirements.

The fastest way to see where you stand is to try a short test in the real format.