If you're new to working in Japan, understanding your payslip can be a real challenge. In my early years working in Japan, when I got my payslip, I had no idea what anything meant 🤣
In Japan, along with your monthly salary, you'll receive a detailed statement listing items like allowances, taxes, and insurances. This post will help you break down the key sections of a Japanese payslip.
Understanding Payslips in Japan
A payslip in Japan is called 給与明細書（きゅうよめいさいしょ） Here's an example of a Japanese payslip:
Một bảng lương ở Nhật
Sections in a Payslip
Japanese payslips typically include these three main sections:
支給（しきゅう）：Payments from the company
控除（こうじょ）：Deductions
勤怠（きんたい）：Attendance, days off, and hours worked
Within each section, details can vary slightly depending on the company and industry.
支給（しきゅう）：Payments from the Company
This section shows your base salary, overtime pay, allowances, commuting expenses, and more. It varies by company in terms of specific allowances.
基本給（きほんきゅう）：Base salary
役職手当（やくしょくてあて）：Position allowance. Varies based on your job role
資格手当（しかくてあて）：Qualification allowance. For example, if you have specialized certifications or language skills
家族手当（かぞくてあて）：Family allowance
扶養手当（ふようてあて）：Dependent allowance. For example, for elderly parents or young children
住宅手当（じゅうたくてあて）：Housing allowance
出勤手当（しゅっきんてあて）：Attendance allowance
通勤手当（つうきんてあて）：Commuting allowance
営業手当（えいぎょうてあて）：Sales allowance
休業手当（きゅうぎょうてあて）：Allowance for temporary leave due to special circumstances
臨時手当（りんじてあて）：Temporary allowance. This is a one-off payment from the company for special cases, like a specific project, event, or achievement. It's not a regular part of your monthly salary
その他手当（そのたてあて）：Other allowances
所定時間外手当（しょていじかんがいてあて）：Overtime allowance within scheduled hours
時間外労働手当（じかんがいろうどうてあて）：Overtime pay
深夜労働手当（しんやろうどうてあて）：Night shift overtime allowance
休日労働手当（きゅうじつろうどうてあて）：Holiday work allowance
表彰金（ひょうしょうきん）：Commendation bonus. A reward for outstanding achievements or exceeding expectations
税法上支給額（ぜいほうじょうしきゅうがく）：Total taxable income
従業員立替金（じゅうぎょういんたてかえきん）：Employee advances. Expenses paid upfront by the employee, not subject to tax or insurance
総支給額（そうしきゅうがく）：Gross salary
控除（こうじょ）：Deductions
健康保険（けんこうほけん）：Health insurance, used for medical visits to clinics or hospitals. Typically, you only pay 30%, and insurance covers the rest
介護保険（かいごほけん）：Nursing care insurance
厚生年金保険（こうせいねんきんほけん）：Pension insurance (nenkin). This ensures you receive benefits in old age or if you become unable to work
雇用保険（こようほけん）：Employment insurance. Provides benefits if you're unemployed or on maternity leave
所得税（しょとくぜい）：Income tax, based on your monthly earnings
住民税（じゅうみんぜい）：Resident tax, paid to your local area based on the previous fiscal year's income. You won't pay this in your first year of work
不就業控除（ふしゅうぎょうこうじょ）：Absence deduction, for unpaid leave without using vacation days
Hello everyone. I'm an IT engineer working in Japan. I created this blog to share about life and experiences during my study and work journey. I hope this article will be helpful to you.
