What professions keep after tax in Japan, 2026
A look at what the most common professional roles keep in Japan, after national income tax (shotokuzei), residence tax (juminzei), and shakai hoken (social insurance). Updated for 2026.
Nurse
~Â¥280,000/month after tax
Software Engineer
~Â¥398,000/month after tax
Teacher
~Â¥310,000/month after tax
Accountant
~Â¥360,000/month after tax
Data Analyst
~Â¥388,000/month after tax
Doctor
~Â¥490,000/month after tax
Lawyer
~Â¥559,000/month after tax
Project Manager
~Â¥388,000/month after tax
About Japan tax
Japan's national income tax runs from 5% at the bottom to 45% on amounts above ¥40,000,000/year. Residence tax (juminzei) is a flat 10% of taxable income, collected a year in arrears (new arrivals get a surprise bill in their second year). Shakai hoken - covering health insurance (~5% employee share) and employee pension (~9.15%) - brings combined deductions to roughly 28-33% of gross for most working professionals.
Japan also pays a proportional consumption tax (currently 10%) on most purchases, which indirectly reduces real purchasing power. Bonus income (typically paid twice yearly in June and December) is taxed separately and is often a substantial part of total annual compensation in Japanese corporate culture, particularly for accountants and senior engineers.