Average Research Scientist Salary in Nagoya, Japan for 2026

In this article, we will look at the average Research Scientist salary for 2026 in Nagoya and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Japanese yen. To keep things simple, we are using the JPY currency code instead of the currency symbol ¥.

How Much Does a Research Scientist Make in Nagoya?

A Research Scientist working in Nagoya will typically earn around 10,237,100 JPY per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 4,703,900 JPY to the highest average salary of 16,320,700 JPY.

Average Annual Salary10,237,100 JPY
Average Monthly Salary853,091 JPY
Average Lowest Salary4,703,900 JPY
Lowest Monthly Salary391,991 JPY
Average Highest Salary16,320,700 JPY
Highest Monthly Salary1,360,058 JPY

These are average salaries for a Research Scientist in Nagoya and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Research Scientist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Research Scientist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Research Scientist Salaries in Nagoya

So we've looked at the average salaries a Research Scientist will earn in Nagoya. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Research Scientist can earn between 4,703,900 JPY and 16,320,700 JPY on average in Nagoya. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Research Scientist in Nagoya is 11,050,300 JPY. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 11,050,300 JPY, and 50% of the population earn more than 11,050,300 JPY.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Research Scientist salary in Nagoya, 25% of the population are earning less than 7,093,500 JPY while 75% of the population earn more than 7,093,500 JPY.

75% of the population earn less than 14,760,200 JPY, and 25% of the population earn more than 14,760,200 JPY.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Research Scientist Salary by Experience Level in Nagoya

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average Research Scientist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Research Scientist in Nagoya that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 5,340,600 JPY.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Research Scientist salary would increase to 7,140,500 JPY.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Research Scientist, the average salary would be 10,546,700 JPY.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 12,841,200 JPY.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Research Scientist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 14,038,300 JPY.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Research Scientist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 15,118,700 JPY.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years-
5,340,600 JPY
2-5 Years+34%
7,140,500 JPY
5-10 Years+48%
10,546,700 JPY
10-15 Years+22%
12,841,200 JPY
15-20 Years+9%
14,038,300 JPY
20+ Years+8%
15,118,700 JPY

Research Scientist Salary by Education Level in Nagoya

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Research Scientist in Nagoya based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Research Scientist in Nagoya with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 6,096,900 JPY.
  • Master's Degree. A Research Scientist in Nagoya with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 9,565,900 JPY.
  • PhD. A Research Scientist in Nagoya with a phd education can earn an average salary of 16,079,800 JPY.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Bachelor's Degree-
6,096,900 JPY
Master's Degree+57%
9,565,900 JPY
PhD+68%
16,079,800 JPY

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Japan is around 2,570,000 to 7,720,000 JPY and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Research Scientist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Nagoya, a male research scientist will earn an average of 9,565,900 JPY, while a female research scientist will earn around 9,046,100 JPY.

This means that a male research scientist earns approximately 6% more than a female research scientist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Nagoya

Male-
9,565,900 JPY
Female-6%
9,046,100 JPY

Research Scientist Average Pay Raise in Nagoya

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Research Scientist in Nagoya is around 12% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Japan is around 8% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 12 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Research Scientist in Nagoya can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Nagoya for 2026

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Japan.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking-
8%
Energy-
7%
Information Technology-
6%
Healthcare-
5%
Travel-
4%
Construction-
3%
Education-
2%

Research Scientist Bonus and Incentive Rates in Nagoya

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Research Scientist is a moderate bonus based job, with 57% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

43% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5%.

Received Bonus-
57%
No Bonus-
43%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Japan earn approximately 4% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector-
6,300,400 JPY
Private Sector-4%
6,048,900 JPY

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Research Scientist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Research Scientist in Nagoya.

Job TitleCategorySalary
3D Lab TechnologistScience and Technical Services5,975,000 JPY
Algorithm DeveloperScience and Technical Services8,545,000 JPY
Analytical ChemistScience and Technical Services12,361,500 JPY
AnthropologistScience and Technical Services8,689,800 JPY
ArcheologistScience and Technical Services7,882,800 JPY
Assistant BreederScience and Technical Services3,898,100 JPY
AstronomerScience and Technical Services14,158,800 JPY
Atmospheric and Space ScientistScience and Technical Services11,782,700 JPY
Behavior AnalystScience and Technical Services8,172,900 JPY
Behavior Intervention SpecialistScience and Technical Services9,073,200 JPY
Behavior SpecialistScience and Technical Services8,483,700 JPY
BiochemistScience and Technical Services12,958,200 JPY
Biofuels Processing TechnicianScience and Technical Services5,146,100 JPY
Biofuels Production ManagerScience and Technical Services9,179,000 JPY
BiologistScience and Technical Services13,319,300 JPY
Biomedical Laboratory OfficerScience and Technical Services5,434,400 JPY
Biomedical ScientistScience and Technical Services14,038,300 JPY
BiophysicistScience and Technical Services13,919,600 JPY
Chemical EngineerScience and Technical Services6,335,800 JPY
Chemical TechnologistScience and Technical Services5,890,200 JPY
ChemistScience and Technical Services12,600,600 JPY
Chief TechnologistScience and Technical Services11,878,500 JPY
Climate Change AnalystScience and Technical Services9,010,800 JPY
Clinical Laboratory ScientistScience and Technical Services13,919,600 JPY
Computer ScientistScience and Technical Services10,716,600 JPY
Conservation ScientistScience and Technical Services10,813,300 JPY
DNA AnalystScience and Technical Services13,561,900 JPY
Data Science SpecialistScience and Technical Services8,099,800 JPY
Data ScientistScience and Technical Services9,899,400 JPY
EcologistScience and Technical Services10,440,100 JPY
Economic Development SpecialistScience and Technical Services10,608,800 JPY
FlavouristScience and Technical Services4,558,700 JPY
Food ScientistScience and Technical Services8,329,200 JPY
Forensic ScientistScience and Technical Services11,184,400 JPY
Formulation TechnologistScience and Technical Services5,183,700 JPY
Fraud InvestigatorScience and Technical Services6,613,100 JPY
Genomics ScientistScience and Technical Services13,919,600 JPY
GeographerScience and Technical Services7,369,700 JPY
Geographic Information Systems TechnicianScience and Technical Services4,752,100 JPY
Geological Data TechnicianScience and Technical Services4,762,300 JPY
Geological TechnicianScience and Technical Services5,833,500 JPY
GeologistScience and Technical Services11,173,600 JPY
Geomatics ScientistScience and Technical Services10,321,700 JPY
Geophysical Data TechnicianScience and Technical Services4,140,900 JPY
Geospatial Information Scientist and TechnologistScience and Technical Services9,754,300 JPY
Global Technical LeadScience and Technical Services13,919,600 JPY
HydrologistScience and Technical Services9,121,500 JPY
Industrial EcologistScience and Technical Services9,154,500 JPY
Intelligence AnalystScience and Technical Services7,957,900 JPY
Knowledge Management SpecialistScience and Technical Services6,613,100 JPY
Lab AnalystScience and Technical Services5,628,400 JPY
Lab ManagerScience and Technical Services9,322,700 JPY
Lab TechnicianScience and Technical Services4,019,900 JPY
Laboratory ManagerScience and Technical Services9,250,100 JPY
Laboratory ResearcherScience and Technical Services6,300,400 JPY
Laboratory TechnicianScience and Technical Services3,959,700 JPY
Life Sciences AnalystScience and Technical Services8,902,700 JPY
Life ScientistScience and Technical Services10,643,500 JPY
Marine ArchitectScience and Technical Services8,460,900 JPY
Marine BiologistScience and Technical Services9,649,800 JPY
Marine SuperintendentScience and Technical Services5,663,200 JPY
Materials AnalystScience and Technical Services5,914,900 JPY
Materials ScientistScience and Technical Services10,224,200 JPY
MathematicianScience and Technical Services10,882,800 JPY
Medical ScientistScience and Technical Services14,519,400 JPY
MetallurgistScience and Technical Services10,032,600 JPY
MeteorologistScience and Technical Services9,142,700 JPY
MicrobiologistScience and Technical Services13,561,900 JPY
Natural Language Processing ResearcherScience and Technical Services8,172,900 JPY
Natural Resource SpecialistScience and Technical Services7,477,100 JPY
Natural Resources AnalystScience and Technical Services8,149,100 JPY
Natural Sciences ManagerScience and Technical Services12,721,300 JPY
Nuclear EngineerScience and Technical Services13,919,600 JPY
Physical ScientistScience and Technical Services10,704,700 JPY
PhysicistScience and Technical Services12,841,200 JPY
Political ScientistScience and Technical Services10,450,100 JPY
Polygraph ExaminerScience and Technical Services3,706,100 JPY
Polysomnographic TechnologistScience and Technical Services6,371,500 JPY
Product Development ScientistScience and Technical Services11,076,200 JPY
Quantitative Research AnalystScience and Technical Services9,094,100 JPY
Quantitative ResearcherScience and Technical Services9,154,500 JPY
Radiation Protection SpecialistScience and Technical Services7,464,400 JPY
Refrigeration TechnicianScience and Technical Services3,144,700 JPY
Risk Safety EngineerScience and Technical Services5,747,700 JPY
Scientific PhotographerScience and Technical Services5,698,400 JPY
Scientific ProgrammerScience and Technical Services8,149,100 JPY
ScientistScience and Technical Services10,009,300 JPY
Service EngineerScience and Technical Services5,735,900 JPY
Service TechnicianScience and Technical Services4,043,600 JPY
Social Science Research AssistantScience and Technical Services5,376,200 JPY
Social ScientistScience and Technical Services10,032,600 JPY
SociologistScience and Technical Services9,731,500 JPY
Soil ScientistScience and Technical Services8,242,900 JPY
Statistical AnalystScience and Technical Services6,142,600 JPY
Statistical AssistantScience and Technical Services4,510,700 JPY
StatisticianScience and Technical Services9,121,500 JPY
Survey AnalystScience and Technical Services5,686,100 JPY
Survey ResearcherScience and Technical Services5,326,200 JPY
Surveying and Mapping TechnicianScience and Technical Services3,648,200 JPY
Team LeaderScience and Technical Services8,362,500 JPY
Technical ManagerScience and Technical Services9,409,200 JPY
Technical OfficerScience and Technical Services4,129,300 JPY
Technical Service DirectorScience and Technical Services12,481,200 JPY
Technical Services Regulatory Affairs SpecialistScience and Technical Services5,771,600 JPY
Technical Services Research AssociateScience and Technical Services6,901,600 JPY
Technical Services Research CoordinatorScience and Technical Services6,539,600 JPY
Technical Services Research and Development ManagerScience and Technical Services14,519,400 JPY
TechnicianScience and Technical Services3,672,500 JPY
Water EcologistScience and Technical Services11,712,900 JPY
Wildlife BiologistScience and Technical Services8,962,200 JPY

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Japan, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

CityAverage Salary
Fukuoka10,080,900 JPY
Hiroshima9,010,800 JPY
Kawasaki8,845,500 JPY
Kobe9,289,200 JPY
Kyoto9,385,400 JPY
Osaka10,102,100 JPY
Saitama8,940,400 JPY
Sapporo10,344,200 JPY
Sendai8,232,100 JPY
Tokyo10,894,900 JPY
Yokohama9,971,500 JPY

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