IT Salary in Japan by City (2026): Tokyo vs Osaka vs Fukuoka vs Yokohama
Honest IT salary ranges in Japan for 2026 across Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Fukuoka and Sapporo. Foreign vs Japanese employers, what the gross number hides, and how to find your real take-home pay.
The honest numbers, by city
Forget the glossy job-board averages — here is what software engineers actually earn in Japan in 2026, with the cost-of-living gap that the gross number hides.
| City | Junior (0-3 yrs) | Mid (3-7 yrs) | Senior (7+ yrs) | COL index* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | ¥4.5M-6M | ¥6.5M-9M | ¥9M-14M+ | 100 |
| Yokohama | ¥4.2M-5.5M | ¥6M-8M | ¥8.5M-12M | 93.6 |
| Osaka | ¥3.8M-5M | ¥5.5M-7.5M | ¥7.5M-11M | 85.3 |
| Nagoya | ¥3.8M-5M | ¥5.5M-7.5M | ¥7.5M-10M | 83.6 |
| Kyoto | ¥3.7M-4.8M | ¥5M-7M | ¥7M-10M | 87.7 |
| Fukuoka | ¥3.5M-4.5M | ¥5M-6.5M | ¥6.5M-9M | 80.3 |
| Sapporo | ¥3.3M-4.2M | ¥4.5M-6M | ¥6M-8.5M | 81.5 |
* Cost-of-living index, Tokyo = 100. See our salary parity calculator for the full breakdown across 11 cities.
What the gross number hides
The Tokyo premium is real — usually +30% over regional cities — but rent alone often eats it back. A ¥8M senior engineer in Tokyo paying ¥150k/month for a 1LDK in Ebisu nets roughly the same lifestyle as a ¥6.5M senior in Fukuoka paying ¥70k/month for a wider apartment with a balcony view of Hakata Bay.
Use the take-home pay calculator to see what each city actually leaves in your bank account after tax, residence tax, pension, and health insurance.
Foreign-funded vs Japanese-funded companies
Same role, very different ranges:
- Foreign-funded (Google, Amazon, Mercari, PayPay): senior engineers commonly earn ¥12M-18M base + ¥3M-8M RSU/bonus. Tokyo only.
- Japanese-funded big tech (Recruit, LINE, DeNA, Rakuten): senior ¥9M-13M total. Strong career stability.
- Traditional Japanese corp (NTT Data, Hitachi, Fujitsu): senior ¥7M-10M, slow ramp, lifetime employment.
- Startups: junior ¥4M-5.5M with equity that's usually worth a coffee. Sometimes a unicorn.
The hidden lever: visa-sponsoring companies pay more
Companies that actively sponsor work visas have a smaller candidate pool and pay 10-20% above market for senior engineers. If you're still abroad, target Japan Dev / TokyoDev / LinkedIn filters set to "visa sponsorship available."
Bonuses: the ¥200k question that hides ¥1.5M
Most Japanese companies pay a summer + winter bonus (賞与). A "¥6M salary" often means ¥4.8M base + ¥1.2M bonus. Always ask for the breakdown. Foreign-funded companies usually don't do the seasonal split.
What you actually take home
Across all these brackets, expect 72-78% net after national income tax, residence tax, pension, health insurance, and employment insurance. Below ¥4M you keep closer to 80%; above ¥15M it drops below 70%. Our calculator gives you the exact figure for your situation.