Banking & Finance (4.48 million Yen/40,500 USD per year)
Another hallmark industry with a good average salary. While the banking/finance industry generally has good salaries around the world, this is especially the case when it comes to Japan. The idea of permanent employment is still relevant in the banking field and sticking with a single company/bank could get you way more salary in the long run. The optimal strategy if you are still young and a fresh graduate is to enter a financial institute as early as possible and stick around to get more experience. After a decade of work in the field, you will most likely have an above-average salary than most industries.
That being said, entering the banking industry still has a few limitations if you are a foreigner. The proficiency level of Japanese required is often quite advanced. The amount of foreigners working in this field is also quite limited. The situation is a bit different in the finance sector. Technologies are now an integrated part of the finance sector and the demand for IT staff is higher than ever. If you have experience in the IT field then it would be way easier for you to land a job in the finance industry.
Construction / Real Estate (4.18 million Yen/37,800 USD per year)
This might be surprising for some people but the construction and the real estate industry actually makes similar average salaries compared to industries like finance. Real estate development in Japan is still ongoing and it does require both hard labor and employees with different skill sets. Since more and more companies in the real estate industry are adopting new technologies, it would be much easier for you to land an above-average salary in the real estate sector. Generally, the construction jobs that demand hard labor require less Japanese language skills. However, if you process engineering skills and wish to apply them in the construction industry then a higher level of Japanese (N2 and N1) is required.
The construction and real estate industry also has few foreigners working in the field. About 2% of the total foreigners living in Japan work in the construction/real estate sectors and it is unlikely to rise by a significant margin anytime soon. Finally, if you are a foreigner interested in this field then real estate finance would be your best bet at working in the industry.
Medical (4.26 million Yen/38,500 USD per year)
Working in the medical industry is another way to get a good average salary in Japan. The medical industry in Japan is quite large and demands a variety of skilled employees. For medicine makers, a degree in biochemistry is most certainly required. The skillset for entering the medical industry is quite narrow and advanced. However, since more and more technical skills are demanded to develop new medical machines, IT personnel, as well as engineers, can potentially find a job in the medical industry today. Similar to the banking/finance industry, the medical industry in Japan has been one of the industries with the highest average salary in Japan and has a similar salary structure. This means that the more you stick around in one company your salary would rise exponentially.
With that being said, it would be difficult for a fresh foreign graduate to enter the medical industry. Knowing Japanese would certainly help, but without the appropriate degree, it can be challenging to successfully apply for a job in the industry. The better choice would be to enter the medical industry in Japan as an experienced worker. You will most certainly get a better salary and there will be less requirement on the level of Japanese.
