Working in Japan – Pay, Overtime Pay and Paid Leave
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These days work has been really busy, and although I’ve been doing a lot of overtime, my salary hasn’t changed at all.
It sounds like work is tough right now. However, your company must pay you for your overtime work. Are you able to take days off?
Actually, my company makes me come into work on my days off too, so I haven’t been able to get a good rest.
You should also be paid for working on your days off. It’s strange that your salary hasn’t changed. We recommend checking the details on your payslip.
This article tells you how salaries are calculated for foreigners working in Japan.. It also explains the overtime pay and paid leave systems.
Wages and salaries for foreigners
The following is the data announced by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2024 about the amounts of wages for foreigners, which are calculated by subtracting overtime pay and other dues from their salaries.
Wages by status of residence
| Status of residence | Average wage |
|---|---|
| Engineer / specialist in humanities / international services, etc. | ¥299,600 |
| Specified skilled worker | ¥205,700 |
| Technical intern training | ¥177,800 |
The “take-home pay” (the amount of money actually remaining in one’s possession) is calculated by adding or subtracting the following items from this amount.
What to add (examples)
- Overtime allowance (overtime pay)
- Late-night-work allowance
- Weekend work allowance
- Commuting allowance
- Housing allowance
What to subtract (examples)
- Social insurance premiums (e.g., a welfare pension insurance premium, a health insurance premium, and an employment insurance premium)
- Income tax
- Residence tax
- Housing costs
- Utility expenses (heat, light and water expenses)
Wages for technical intern trainees
In many cases, the wage a technical intern trainee receives is equal to or a little higher than the legal minimum wage. The minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage set by a prefecture. The minimum wage is also set by industry.
Minimum Wage by Prefecture (Japanese only) | Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
Experiences of Technical Intern Training #2 “How Much Money Can be Saved through Technical Intern Training?”
How much money can be saved through technical intern training? Let’s look at the case of eight senior Vietnamese technical intern trainees and compare their savings amount in three years.
Wages for specified skilled workers and residents with engineer / specialist in humanities / international service” status
Foreigners with specified skilled worker or engineering/humanities/international services (gijinkoku) are paid the same or higher wages as Japanese people working for the same company (in similar occupations).
Premium wages
By law, working hours are limited to 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. If a person works over those hours, an extra work wage will be paid to them. Extra work wages are as follows:
- Overtime allowance (overtime pay): For overtime work that exceeds the company’s agreed upon daily working hours, employees are paid at least 1.25 times their regular wages.
- Late-night-work allowance: If a person works from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., the pay is at least 1.25 times the normal rate.
- Holiday work allowance: If a person works on a weekend or holiday, the pay must be at least 1.35 times the normal rate.
Paid leave
After six months of employment, a person receives 10 days of paid annual leave. After that, employees receive 11 days, 12 days, and 14 days for each additional year of employment. Employees can take their paid vacations on any day of the week.
If you fail to receive overtime pay or paid leave, you should consult with a Labor Standards Bureau or the Organization for Technical Intern Training (OTIT).
Taking paid leave through negotiations with the company
This article tells you about the experience of Ms. Xim, a Vietnamese who came to Japan as a technical intern trainee, and the paid leave system. Ms. Xim had never had consecutive holidays during a technical intern training period of three years. However, she finally had the courage to negotiate with the company and took consecutive paid leave for the first time.
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