Software Engineering salaries in Japan
The median lead Software Engineering salary in Japan is ¥7,220,000 per year, with the market band from ¥6,000,000 to ¥8,840,000 (e-stat.go.jp, 2026-08-31).
By seniority
lead (Medium quality data)
- P25
- ¥6,000,000
- Median
- ¥7,220,000
- P75
- ¥8,840,000
- per month
- ¥601,667
About ¥601,667 per month at the median.
e-Stat 2025 Table 5, software creators, age 50-54: 474.4k/mo x 12 + 1,531.3k bonus = 7,224.1k p50; n=63,250 in band. p25/p75 from Table 17 percentile ratios (0.831/1.224) applied to band center. Lead band sits marginally below 45-49 in the source data (bonus volatility); nominal difference is within rounding.
senior (Medium quality data)
- P25
- ¥6,060,000
- Median
- ¥7,290,000
- P75
- ¥8,930,000
- per month
- ¥607,500
About ¥607,500 per month at the median.
e-Stat Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, Table 5, occupation 'software creators', age 45-49: contractual cash earnings 473.6k JPY/mo x 12 + annual bonus 1,608.9k = 7,292.1k p50; n=78,270 in band (occupation total n=817,860). p25/p75 derived from Table 17 official percentiles of monthly scheduled earnings for the occupation (P25 273.7k / median 329.5k / P75 403.4k): P25/median 0.831 and P75/median 1.224 applied to the age-band annual center. Cross-checks: Robert Walters Japan public page: mid-level IT 6-10M, senior listings 7-12M; Daijob: international software engineer Tokyo median 8-12M (bilingual/Tokyo premium above national mean).
Sources for these numbers
- https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/file-download?statInfId=000040421120&fileKind=4
- https://www.e-stat.go.jp/stat-search/file-download?statInfId=000040421132&fileKind=4
- https://www.robertwalters.co.jp/en/expertise/technology-and-transformation/development-jobs.html
- https://www.daijob.com/en/guide/expat-essentials/2026-salary-benchmarks-in-japan/
These are market medians. Your own quote also depends on your current pay, your walk-away floor, and the package you need. Get your personal quote.