Salary in Japan for Bangladeshis: minimum wage, part-time pay, SSW and graduate salaries, and what you actually take home

What is the minimum wage in Japan in 2026?

Japan has no single national minimum wage: each of the 47 prefectures sets an hourly rate every autumn, and it applies to everyone, Japanese or foreign, full-time or part-time. The FY2026 revision raised the national weighted average by ¥56 to ¥1,177. The new rates take effect on different days between 1 October and 2 December 2026, so a few prefectures are still on last year's rate until their date arrives.

The last column is simple arithmetic: 40 hours a week averages about 173 hours a month, multiplied by the hourly minimum. It is the legal floor for a full-time job before overtime and before deductions. Overtime, late-night work (22:00–05:00) and work beyond 40 hours a week must be paid at least 25% extra under the Labour Standards Act.

How much does a student earn from part-time work?

A student visa allows up to 28 hours a week across all jobs (8 hours a day during official long holidays), with the work permission on the Residence Card. Most student jobs pay at or a little above the local minimum wage: JASSO's survey found about 70% of students earn under ¥1,200 an hour, and the most common jobs are restaurants (39%) and shops and sales (28%). Rules, job types and how to find work are covered in our part-time jobs guide; here is the money side.

These are ceilings, not averages. In reality many students work fewer hours, especially in the first months: JASSO's latest survey puts the average part-time income at about ¥81,000 a month (about 63,600 taka). Deductions for students are small (some income tax, National Health Insurance, and resident tax from the second year), so take-home at the full 28 hours is usually ¥110,000–140,000. That pays rent, food and transport. It does not pay year-two tuition.

How much do SSW and other workers earn in Japan?

For SSW (Specified Skilled Worker, 特定技能), the law sets the rule rather than a number: the employment contract must pay a foreign worker at least as much as a Japanese worker doing the same job, and must not treat the worker differently on pay, training or benefits because they are foreign. In practice a newcomer starts somewhere between the full-time minimum for that prefecture (about ¥188,000–222,000) and a little above the SSW average, plus overtime and allowances.

'Base pay' (所定内給与) here means the fixed monthly salary before tax, without overtime or bonus. Industry averages from the same survey show where each sector sits, but they include experienced Japanese staff of all ages, so a newcomer starts well below them: construction ¥366,300, manufacturing ¥330,000, medical and welfare ¥315,700, hotels and food service ¥277,200 (the lowest-paid industry). Care workers (介護職員) averaged about ¥314,000 a month in 2025 including bonuses, according to MHLW. Construction and caregiving usually add night-shift, qualification or site allowances, which is why SSW workers in those sectors often earn more than in food service.

• Nurses: a Bangladeshi nursing diploma or BSc does not let you work as a nurse (看護師) in Japan. You need MHLW recognition of your qualification and must pass Japan's national nursing exam in Japanese. Most Bangladeshi nurses therefore start as SSW caregivers (介護), paid like other SSW workers, and can move to the 'Care Worker' (介護) visa after passing the national care worker exam.
• Factory and food processing: many shifts include nights, which pay 25% extra. Ask whether the offer quotes base pay or an estimate 'with overtime'.
• Construction: on top of the general rule, the construction ministry (MLIT) checks each SSW construction offer against Japanese workers with the closest experience and qualifications, so pay cannot be set lower without a valid reason.
• Hotels and restaurants: the lowest-paid sector on average, but often the easiest entry and frequently comes with staff meals or a dormitory.

What do graduates earn, and what is the highest salary in Japan?

Students who finish a senmon gakko or university in Japan and get a job on the Engineer/Specialist visa are paid on the same scale as Japanese new graduates. Pay then rises with years of service, and there is no legal maximum: managers at department-head level averaged ¥635,800 a month in 2025.

Most Japanese companies also pay bonuses, typically twice a year, on top of these monthly figures, but bonus amounts vary widely by employer and are not guaranteed. Pay is highest in Tokyo, where the 2025 full-time average was ¥418,300.

What gets deducted, and how much do you take home?

• Employees' pension (厚生年金): 18.3% of pay, split half and half, so 9.15% comes out of your salary.
• Health insurance (健康保険): roughly 5% of pay for your half; the exact rate depends on the prefecture and insurer.
• Employment insurance (雇用保険): 0.5% of pay in FY2026 for most jobs (0.6% in construction and agriculture).
• Income tax (所得税): withheld every month; small at these salary levels, usually a few thousand yen.
• Resident tax (住民税): about 10% of the previous year's taxable income, so it starts from your second year and adds several thousand yen a month.

These are rounded estimates for a single person under 40 with no dependants; your payslip (給与明細) will differ slightly. If the employer provides housing, rent is usually deducted from pay as well, so read the contract for the 'deductions' line. Pension is not lost money: foreigners who leave Japan after at least six months of contributions can claim the lump-sum withdrawal payment (脱退一時金), calculated on up to 60 months.

How much can you realistically save and send home?

The saving figures are planning estimates, not survey results: they assume a careful single person who shares housing or lives in a company dormitory and cooks at home. Overtime can add more for workers; the first two or three months save almost nothing because of deposits, furniture and the gap before the first payday. Send money through a bank or a licensed remittance service, never through hundi: informal transfers are illegal in Bangladesh and leave no record if something goes wrong.