Public service in Japan is divided into two broad categories: national civil servants, who work in ministries and state agencies, and local civil servants, who serve in prefectures, cities, and towns. Both groups receive stable pay and benefits, but new data show a clear gap in annual earnings.
According to a 2024 government survey, the average national civil servant earns about ¥6.29 million a year. That figure includes a monthly salary of roughly ¥414,000 and two bonuses totaling about ¥1.31 million.
Local civil servants, by contrast, make an average of ¥6.69 million. Their monthly pay is nearly the same as national employees, but their year-end and midyear bonuses are larger, typically ranging from ¥1.5 million to ¥1.9 million depending on the prefecture.
The difference—about ¥400,000 a year—stems largely from regional allowances and higher bonus payments in urban and high-cost areas.
Still, the picture is not uniform. Salaries vary by role, seniority, and location. A local worker in a rural prefecture may earn less than a national civil servant in Tokyo, for example.
The takeaway: on average, local government jobs pay more, but whether national or local service is financially better depends heavily on where and how one serves.
by MagazineKey4532