Hello!
I'm a 25M Software Engineer with an opportunity to transfer to Japan with my current company and work in Tokyo about ¥7M/year. (47k USD Equivalent). I'm JLPT N3 and would probably move back to the US after 1-2 years.
I've also received an offer to stay in Detroit for a competitor, making ~$120k/year.
Both jobs are hybrid and involve basically the same tasks.
I would like to go to Japan for the experience of living outside of the US, but it's very hard to justify when I could just live in the U.S. and vacation extensively and still save so much more money. I'm also worried about my post-Japan career prospects. I think such a high U.S. offer will be very hard to get in the future.
Would you take the offer to move to Japan?
by Violator_1990
28 comments
Y7 million in Japan is closer to $100k in the US – don’t simply use the forex rate to convert, you have to look at purchasing power.
Y7 million is higher than the national average, and even higher than the average for Tokyo.
I’d say moving to Japan making a decent salary, with affordable housing, would be a fantastic opportunity to really boost your language skills. I have no idea why you think such a ‘high US offer’ will be unavailable in the future – that basically means you expect to get laid off in the future.
Japan is super affordable. You’d be better off in Tokyo at 50k as opposed to 150k in the US in most any state.
Isn’t 120k a standard non faang salary? Not sure if I’d call that high. Need to consider total cost and not just salary differentials
Currently in a similar situation. I’m leaning towards going. Can always make more money, can’t make more time. The future is uncertain but I feel that I won’t look back from my death bed and regret taking a risk to explore. That’s me though!
mannn i’m not sure if this is a wise choice. you’re making 115k right now, if you invest this money properly in a low cost index fund you will be able to retire very very early. id say you grind in the USA for now and then go to Japan when you’re financially independent and dont have to be there just for work but can experience it for what it is
Just stay in the US… you’d be taking a massive paycut. Like you said, it’s gonna be difficult getting another job back in the US paying the same salary.
Source: I live in Japan
This is pretty standard salary for non-faang swe in Japan, even on the higher end. US salaries are ridiculously high compared to JP.
Honestly, I’d take the higher salary and use that extra money to travel multiple times to Japan or elsewhere.
No one here is talking about how the yen is devalued, and moving further down the usd value. Along with inflation going through the roof and the LDP not doing anything to offset this. That purchasing power for yen is only relevant in Japan. And when you need to fly back to US for vacation or family, your at an inverse of 1$ to 150yen. And that hurts the wallet hard.
Go for it
For 25 years you lived in the states, just go to Japan🙏
If making bank is your top priority, it will never make sense to move to Japan. In terms of the local economy, 7M yen is a decent mid-career, non-management salary here.
On the other hand, the trains (in Tokyo) run on time, there is extremely affordable convenience/food/accommodation, and I don’t have a voice in the back of my head wondering whether I will be gunned down in a grocery store or movie theater, nor whether I’ll go bankrupt from medical debt or disability.
There are things in life that can’t be bought with money, and you’ll have to decide whether or not maximizing your salary is everything or only part of the equation for you.
It would be better to just a work an extra year in the states, and then take a year off to travel. Stay in Tokyo for three months, visit Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, etc, then come back and start working again. You’d be in the exact same financial situation.
Go for it bro, it’s easier to make friends in japan when you’re younger, too. You’ll get work experience regardless. The difference is savings, so if you’re considering retiring in the US, just dont stay too long
I would take it immediately. That sounds amazing even right now I’d give up my current job for that. Sounds awesome, the experience itself is worth it.
“Send him to Detroit…”
“No! No, not Detroit! No! No, please!”
Career wise, I don’t think we have enough information to advise you on what to do. Just make sure you’re going to Japan for the right reasons if you choose to go.
Stick where you make more money
Travel multiple times and assess if Japan is really for you
“Vacationing extensively” is not the same as living abroad. Not even close.
I was faced with something similar, but at nearly twice your age. I basically looked at it as if I didn’t have a choice…so I was able to move back to the states with no regrets (except leaving)
If you’re going to do it, do it now. And btw, this is not a financial decision.
If you don’t have any dependents you’ll be fine.
You’re young! Enjoy some adventure. You can’t predict the future. It would be more sad to play all your cards safe, get to an older age with all that savings and all the wonder of “what if”. Plus, Japan is ammmazzzzzingg!!!
Life is for living. Move to Japan for a year and transfer back to US
The actual salary amount shouldn’t be viewed in a vacuum, but rather with respect to the cost of living where you are/will be living. Detroit isn’t the worst city in the U.S, but it’s much more expensive than Japan in general. This also applies to Japan: I’m assuming that you’ll be in Tokyo, but other areas of Japan have lower cost of living and taxes and will impact your bottom line significantly.
All that being said, I can give you one data point for comparison. As an SDE with 5 years of experience, I was making $150k TC living in the SF Bay Area in 2022, and I moved to Tokyo taking a pay cut down to ¥10.4 million. Immediately, I was able to save more money with no real lifestyle changes, so regardless of what exchange rates and whatnot would indicate, I can guarantee that ¥10.4 million in Tokyo feels like much more than $150k in the Bay Area.
A piece of information that may be helpful: Japanese recruiters care even more than American recruiters about current salary, so it’s difficult to quickly push out of any given salary band when switching jobs here. I’ve made two job switches since I got here 3 years ago: one to get to ¥13 million and another to get to ¥14 million. It’s rare to see jumps of more than ¥3 million when switching jobs.
it’s funny that I was recommended this post because I’m in a VERY similar situation lol
I’m deciding to go to Japan for 6 months on digital nomad visa so I can see how life is there working remotely for my current company (with the working hours shift and all that) while still keeping my current US salary (which I would not be making if I ask my company to officially switch me to Japan)
If you’re transferring within the company for a few years usually that involves some amount of payment for renting a property. So the entire package may be more than 7 million?
Just me, but I would jump at this opportunity to work in Tokyo. This is exactly what my dream is – to live in Tokyo through an American company for 2 years.
You can always come back and make more money and settle down later. Take this opportunity and live!
I don’t know what you do for a living, but life is short, my friend. Living in Japan will change your life. Don’t follow the money. Go with eyes wide open.
7M is a great salary for 25 y/o in Japan. You’ll have good quality of life here. I earn a lot less here than I would in the UK, but I enjoy my life a lot more.
Funnily enough I bounce between Detroit and Japan constantly =] Our “base” is in Eastern Market (got lucky and came here before it was expensive), but we work remote from Japan for about 1/2 the year.
If I was your age and single, I’d probably just jump to Japan for awhile for the experience of it. I’d consider though: make sure you’ll actually have the time & money to enjoy it. That’s why I’m not unhappy with my path: I keep a $255k salary in Detroit (also software engineering) and get to enjoy whatever I want in Japan. Compared to when I was working there and never felt I had time or money to do anything I wanted. I occasionally peruse opportunities in Tokyo but I can’t even find anything at like $100k, it’s less than half US salaries from what I can tell :/
Plenty to do in Detroit though, and Northern MI is great in the summer obviously, hard to beat Traverse City and the surrounding areas in July/August.
Despite what I said above, my take: just take the Japan gig and enjoy it while you’re young. Find a tiny apartment and only go there to sleep: enjoy life while you have the energy. The US salaries and big houses and crap will be there later as well I think/hope =] PS $112k feels “high” now, but if you’re grinding out experience and negotiating hard, even at the low-end of Senior w/4-5yrs experience you can easily get $150k in Detroit. No one will care what companies or countries are on your resume, it’s about the experience (modern tech stacks, modern architectural patterns, etc), tech interview, and soft skills.
Ive lived in Tokyo for 5ish years and I’ve worked in Detroit.
I was making ¥8M in tokyo and then ~$140k ish in the US. I’m not sure I feel like I was actually making more money in the US due to cost of living compared to Japan.
I think I was saving money about as fast in Tokyo vs the US due to cost of living being so much cheaper in Japan vs the US.
I say if you wanna move to Japan you should do it. You may not get another easy opportunity to make it happen later.
In my eyes Tokyo is a way more exciting place to be than in Detroit, but what you value is for you to decide!