Data engineer salary
Percentile salary data for data engineer roles in Tokyo, JP, by seniority. Senior-level figures include total compensation where regionally applicable. Figures are shown in USD by default, with the local JPY amount alongside; use the currency switcher to change the display.
Tokyo carries a cost-of-living index of 79 on the Numbeo and Mercer blended scale where New York City equals 100, a moderate cost of living that is below New York City. The figures below are nominal pay in JPY; read them alongside that index when comparing Tokyo with other markets.
Median pay by seniority
Junior
$40,937 (local: ¥6,110,000)
Base p50
Mid
$62,980 (local: ¥9,400,000)
Base p50
Senior
$91,321 (local: ¥13,630,000)
Base p50
Staff
$229,877 (local: ¥34,310,000)
Total comp p50
Distribution
10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile by seniority, shown in the local currency (JPY). The detailed table below defaults to USD.
Salary percentiles by seniority, in JPY. Junior: 10th percentile ¥3,970,000, 25th ¥5,010,000, median ¥6,110,000, 75th ¥7,640,000, 90th percentile ¥9,470,000. Mid: 10th percentile ¥6,110,000, 25th ¥7,710,000, median ¥9,400,000, 75th ¥11,750,000, 90th percentile ¥14,570,000. Senior: 10th percentile ¥8,860,000, 25th ¥11,180,000, median ¥13,630,000, 75th ¥17,040,000, 90th percentile ¥21,130,000. Staff: 10th percentile ¥24,700,000, 25th ¥29,510,000, median ¥34,310,000, 75th ¥46,320,000, 90th percentile ¥61,760,000.
| Seniority | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Comp | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| junior | $26,599 | $33,567 | $40,937 | $51,188 | $63,449 | Base | 320 |
| mid | $40,937 | $51,657 | $62,980 | $78,725 | $97,619 | Base | 480 |
| senior | $59,362 | $74,906 | $91,321 | $114,168 | $141,571 | Base | 220 |
| staff | $165,490 | $197,717 | $229,877 | $310,344 | $413,792 | Total comp | Not reported |
Source: Levels.fyi 2025 Data Engineer + US BLS OES May 2024 (SOC 15-1252) (2025) https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/focus/data, cost-of-living index 79 (NYC=100)
Each step compares the median (50th percentile) of one tier with the next, using the figures in the table above for data engineer roles in Tokyo.
Take-home
Headline salaries are gross. What lands in your account after income tax and mandatory contributions is what actually pays the rent, so here is the estimated split on the Tokyo senior median.
Gross / year
¥13,630,000
Senior median (50th pct)
Take-home / year
¥7,419,000
54% of gross
Take-home / month
¥618,250
from ¥1,135,833 gross
Effective rate
46%
tax + contributions
On a senior median of ¥13,630,000 in Tokyo, an estimated ¥6,211,000 goes to income tax and mandatory contributions, leaving roughly ¥7,419,000 take-home, or about 54% of gross.
That deduction breaks down as roughly ¥2,803,500 in income tax, ¥2,044,500 in social contributions, and ¥1,363,000 in local inhabitant tax (~10%) at this income level in Japan.
In monthly terms that is about ¥618,250 net from ¥1,135,833 gross a month, the figure that actually lands in a data engineer's account before pension or benefit elections.
Affordability
"Good" depends on what the city costs. Type your own figure below to see the estimated take-home and how far it goes against Tokyo's single-person cost of living, or read the verdict on the senior median first.
Enter an annual gross figure to see the estimated take-home and how it compares with Tokyo's single-person cost of living. Estimate based on Japan NTA 2025 + local inhabitant tax + social insurance.
Take-home / year
¥7,419,000
54% of gross
Take-home / month
¥618,250
from ¥1,135,833 gross
Est. monthly living cost
¥672,090
incl. ~¥495,224 rent
Left over / month
-¥53,840
below typical costs
tight in Tokyo
On ¥13,630,000 gross, your estimated take-home leaves little room above typical single-person living costs once rent and essentials are covered at this city's cost base. Rent is about 80% of monthly take-home here.
Reference estimate for a single filer with no dependants, using published 2025/2026 statutory bands and a cost-of-living index where New York City equals 100. It is not tax advice or a personalised calculation. Real take-home and living costs vary with filing status, pension elections, allowances, and where exactly you live.
Against Tokyo's single-person cost base, a senior data engineer on this median is tight: the estimated take-home of ¥618,250 a month leaves little room above typical single-person living costs once rent and essentials are covered at this city's cost base.
Typical single-person monthly costs in Tokyo, including roughly ¥495,224 for a one-bedroom rental, come to about ¥672,090, which would leave around -¥53,840 discretionary each month at the median.
Rent works out at about 80% of monthly take-home here, against the conventional 30% guideline often used as a reference point.
The verdict is descriptive, not advice: it compares one number against a modelled cost base. Living costs and tax both vary with circumstances this page cannot see.
Why the same job title in Tokyo can span the spread shown above. These are descriptions of the data, not guidance on what to ask for.
Tokyo has a cost of living about 21% lower than New York City. Because the two report in different currencies, compare the percentile tables directly rather than the headline numbers.
Real-terms figures divide the nominal median by the city cost-of-living index (New York City = 100). They are a rough purchasing-power comparison, not a take-home or after-tax calculation.
The mid-level median anchors to occupation medians from the sources below, then scales by the documented seniority multipliers (junior 0.65x, mid 1.00x, senior 1.45x, staff 2.05x) and the local tech-pay level for Tokyo. The 10th, 25th, 75th, and 90th percentiles are fitted from the median using the cross-sectional dispersion that the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for software occupations. Cost-of-living indices blend Numbeo 2025 and Mercer 2025.
Primary source for this slice: Levels.fyi 2025 Data Engineer + US BLS OES May 2024 (SOC 15-1252) (2025). https://www.levels.fyi/t/software-engineer/focus/data
Reference data only. Reported medians describe a market; individual pay varies by employer, level calibration, and negotiation. Nothing here is financial advice.
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