# Caregiver Salary in Japan for Indians: 2026 Pay Guide

> Caregiver salary in Japan for Indians — base vs gross vs take-home pay, deductions, night allowances, bonuses and savings, from official 2026 sources.

- Canonical page: https://www.navishr.com/articles/caregiver-salary-in-japan-for-indians
- Published: 2026-09-08
- Last updated: 2026-09-09 (September 2026)
- Reviewed by: NAVIS HR Japan Placement & SSW Operations Team

## Summary

Caregiver salary in Japan for Indians is not the same for everyone. Two people can do the same job and receive different pay, because salary depends on the employer, the prefecture, the shifts and the allowances. Official surveys show averages, and an average is not a promise. The only number that applies to you is the one written in your own job offer.

This guide explains, in simple words, how your pay is built, what is taken out of it every month, and how much money actually reaches your bank account.

## Quick Answer

**How much does a caregiver earn in Japan?**

There is no fixed salary. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare reported an average of ¥338,200 per month for care workers in September 2024, but that average includes experienced and qualified Japanese staff. It is a benchmark, not a starting salary for a new SSW caregiver from India. Your actual pay is stated in your employment offer.

## At a Glance

- **Care-worker average:** ¥338,200
- **SSW average (all fields):** ¥221,400
- **Your starting pay:** In your offer letter

## How Much Does a Caregiver Earn Per Month?

| Salary term | Amount | What it means |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Care-worker average | ¥338,200 | Average total monthly pay of all care workers in Japan, September 2024 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan) |
| SSW overall average | ¥221,400 | Average regular pay of Specified Skilled Worker visa holders in 2025, across all SSW fields |
| Starting caregiver salary | Depends on employer | No official figure exists; set in your job offer, and must match or beat a Japanese worker doing the same job |
| Actual take-home salary | Depends on deductions | What reaches your bank account after pension, insurance, tax and any accommodation cost |

- **¥338,200** — Average total monthly pay of full-time care workers in September 2024 — basic pay plus allowances plus a share of bonus. (Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan)
  - Limit: An average of all care staff in Japan, including people with many years of experience and national qualifications. It is not a starting salary for a new caregiver from India.
- **¥221,400** — Average regular monthly pay of Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) visa holders in 2025, before deductions. (Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan)
  - Limit: Covers all SSW fields together, not only nursing care. It also leaves out overtime pay, night allowances and bonus.

## What Is the Starting Salary for an Indian Caregiver?

Japan does not publish a starting salary for Indian caregivers. Your starting pay is decided by the employer and written in your job offer — but it cannot fall below two legal floors.

- **Floor 1: your prefecture's minimum wage:** Every prefecture sets its own minimum hourly wage, and it applies to monthly-paid staff too, not only hourly workers. For 2026 the national weighted average is ¥1,177 per hour.
- **Floor 2: equal pay with Japanese staff:** The Immigration Services Agency of Japan requires that an SSW worker is paid the same as, or more than, a Japanese worker doing the same job at that employer. Weaker Japanese is not an accepted reason to pay you less.

Because starting pay is set employer by employer, the honest answer is that you will only know your number when you receive a written offer. What you can do before that is learn to read the offer properly — which is what the rest of this guide covers.

## Base Salary, Gross Salary and Take-Home Salary

Base salary is your basic monthly pay. Gross salary is your total pay before deductions. Take-home salary is the money that reaches your bank account.

- Basic pay: ¥192,660
- Allowances: ¥97,980
- Share of bonus: ¥47,560
- Total: ¥338,200

## What Deductions Are Made From Your Salary?

Pension, health insurance, employment insurance and income tax are taken out every month. Accommodation may also be deducted if your contract says so.

- **Pension (Employees' Pension Insurance)** (Rate is 18.3%, shared equally with your employer) — your share 9.15%
- **Health insurance** (2026 national average 9.9%, shared equally; changes by prefecture) — your share about 5%
- **Employment insurance** (2026 rate for general businesses) — your share 0.5%
- **Income tax** (Deducted every month; depends on your income) — varies
- **Resident tax** (Usually starts from your second year in Japan) — varies
- **Accommodation, utilities or meals** (Only if written in your contract) — varies

## Night Shifts, Overtime and Bonuses

**Night shifts:** Yes, in many care jobs — but the amount is not the same everywhere. Under Japanese labour law, work between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am must be paid at least 25% extra. Many care homes also pay a separate night-duty allowance for each overnight shift. That allowance is decided by the employer, not by law.

**Overtime:** Yes. Overtime must be paid under Japanese labour law, and that law applies to foreign workers in the same way as to Japanese workers.

**Bonuses:** Some employers provide bonuses, but they are not the same for every job. Bonuses in Japan are usually paid twice a year, often in summer and winter. They are not required by law. The amount can change every year, and some employers pay none at all. Ask directly: is a bonus included in my contract, and how is it calculated? If the answer is unclear, treat your monthly pay as your real income.

## Does Salary Change Depending on Location?

Yes. Pay levels follow the local wage level — and so do your living costs.

- Tokyo and other large cities usually offer higher salaries
- Rural areas usually offer lower salaries, but rent and daily costs are lower too
- A higher salary does not automatically mean higher savings

## What Affects a Caregiver's Salary?

- **Employer:** a large hospital group and a small care home pay differently
- **Prefecture:** wage levels differ across Japan
- **Experience:** pay rises with years of service
- **Japanese ability:** stronger Japanese can open better roles and allowances
- **Night shifts:** more night duty means more allowance
- **Overtime:** paid at higher rates, but the hours vary
- **Qualifications:** the Ministry's data shows care workers holding the Kaigo Fukushishi national qualification averaged ¥350,050, against ¥290,620 for those with no qualification
- **Allowances:** pay-improvement, commuting, position and duty allowances all add up

## How Much Can an Indian Caregiver Save?

There is no single savings amount that applies to every caregiver. Anyone who promises you a fixed monthly savings figure is guessing.

- your take-home salary
- rent, or whether your employer provides accommodation
- food
- transport
- electricity, gas, water and phone
- your personal spending and money sent home

## What to Check in Your Employment Offer

- [ ] Base salary
- [ ] Total gross salary
- [ ] Working hours per week
- [ ] Overtime rate
- [ ] Night-shift allowance and number of night shifts
- [ ] Bonus conditions, if any
- [ ] Accommodation cost per month, and what it includes
- [ ] Transport support
- [ ] Insurance and pension deductions
- [ ] Any other deductions
- [ ] Estimated take-home pay

## Example of How Salary Works (Illustrative Only)

- Gross monthly pay: ¥210,000
- Pension, health insurance, employment insurance, income tax: −¥35,000
- Take-home salary: ¥175,000
- Accommodation and utilities: −¥30,000
- Left for food, transport and personal use: ¥145,000

Note: Not a NAVIS HR offer. Your real figures will be different — ask your employer for an estimated take-home amount for your own contract.

## How NAVIS HR Helps You Understand an Offer

NAVIS HR does not want any candidate to travel to Japan with the wrong expectation about money.
Before you accept a job, our team walks you through the written offer from the employer. We explain your base salary and each allowance, what deductions will appear on your salary slip, and what your accommodation terms include. We help you understand what your realistic take-home amount looks like, and we answer your questions before you sign — not after.
We do not guarantee any salary or savings amount. We make sure you understand what the employer has actually offered you in writing.

Openings: https://www.navishr.com/services/talent/nursing-jobs-in-abroad

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What is the monthly salary of a caregiver in Japan?**
A: There is no fixed amount. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan reported an average of ¥338,200 per month for care workers in September 2024, but that average includes experienced and qualified Japanese staff. A new SSW caregiver's pay is set by the employer and written in the contract.

**Q: Is caregiver salary shown before or after deductions?**
A: Job offers usually show gross salary, which is the amount before deductions. Pension, health insurance, employment insurance and income tax are then deducted. Always ask the employer for the estimated take-home amount so you know what will actually reach your bank account.

**Q: What is take-home salary?**
A: Take-home salary is the money you actually receive after all deductions are taken from your gross pay. It is the number that matters for your daily life and your savings. It is always lower than the salary written at the top of the offer letter.

**Q: Do caregivers get paid extra for night shifts?**
A: Yes. Japanese labour law requires at least 25% extra pay for work between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am. Many care employers also pay a separate night-duty allowance per shift. The amount differs by employer, so check the night allowance in your written offer.

**Q: Do caregivers receive bonuses?**
A: Some employers provide bonuses, usually twice a year, but they are not the same for every job and are not required by law. Never assume a bonus. Ask whether one is included in your contract and how the amount is decided.

**Q: Is accommodation free for caregivers in Japan?**
A: Not always. Some employers provide accommodation free or at a reduced rent, and others deduct rent from your salary. Under Immigration Services Agency of Japan rules, any rent charged must be a reasonable amount. Confirm the monthly cost and what it includes before you accept.

**Q: How much can an Indian caregiver save in Japan?**
A: There is no single savings amount that applies to every caregiver. Savings depend on your take-home salary, your rent, your city, your food and transport costs, and how much you send home. Calculate your own figure using your actual offer.

## Related Reading

- [Caregiver Jobs in Japan for Indians: 2026 Guide](https://www.navishr.com/articles/caregiver-jobs-in-japan-for-indians) — Eligibility, qualifications, Japanese language tests and daily life for the SSW Nursing Care pathway.
- [Japan Caregiver Visa for Indians: SSW Requirements & Process](https://www.navishr.com/articles/japan-caregiver-visa-for-indians) — The Certificate of Eligibility, documents, timeline and full visa process, step by step.
- [Nursing Jobs in Japan for Indian Nurses](https://www.navishr.com/articles/nursing-jobs-in-japan-for-indian-nurses) — How a nursing background in India maps onto caregiving and nursing pay in Japan.

## Sources

- [Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan — FY2024 Survey on Working Conditions of Care Workers](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/12300000/001457087.pdf)
- [Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan — 2025 Basic Survey on Wage Structure](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/itiran/roudou/chingin/kouzou/z2025/dl/09.pdf)
- [Immigration Services Agency of Japan](https://www.ssw.go.jp/en/)
- [Japan Health Insurance Association — FY2026 insurance rates](https://www.kyoukaikenpo.or.jp/lp/2026hokenryou/)
- Official guidelines on Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) programs and care-worker wage data, verified September 2026.

## About

Written by Srinidhi V, SEO Lead at NAVIS HR.
Reviewed for accuracy: NAVIS HR Japan Placement & SSW Operations Team — the team that handles employer contracts, offer letters and SSW documentation for candidates placed in Japan. Salary structures, deduction types and accommodation terms in this guide were checked against the employment offers our candidates actually receive.

## Take Action

Don't judge a Japan caregiver job only by the headline salary. Check allowances, deductions, accommodation and expected take-home pay — a job with a lower base salary and free accommodation can leave you with more money than a job with a bigger number on paper.
For the full picture, read our main guide on Caregiver Jobs in Japan for Indians (https://www.navishr.com/articles/caregiver-jobs-in-japan-for-indians).
- [Contact NAVIS HR](https://www.navishr.com/contact)

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