Ibaraki's top industry wages are ¥466,400 in electricity, gas, heat supply and water, ¥431,500 in chemical manufacturing, and ¥422,000 in scientific research, professional and technical services. The ranking directly reflects three major industrial centers: Tsukuba Science City, Hitachi's manufacturing base, and the Kashima coastal industrial zone.
Scheduled monthly wage ranking by industry in Ibaraki (2023, men and women combined, all ages and company sizes)
| Rank | Industry | Scheduled monthly wages (¥1,000) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electricity, gas, heat supply and water | 466.4 |
| 2 | Chemical manufacturing | 431.5 |
| 3 | Scientific research, professional and technical services | 422.0 |
| 4 | Nonferrous metals manufacturing | 421.8 |
| 5 | Finance and insurance | 408.1 |
| 6 | Professional services | 407.6 |
| 7 | General-purpose machinery manufacturing | 398.4 |
| 8 | Electrical machinery manufacturing | 397.2 |
| 9 | Transportation equipment manufacturing | 393.0 |
| 10 | Construction | 392.1 |
| Mid-range | Manufacturing, total | About 350.0 |
| Lower | Accommodation and food services | About 220.0 |
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2023), Ibaraki Prefecture, men and women combined, all ages and company sizes.
Research, chemicals, and machinery cluster around ¥400,000 or more
The top 10 include chemicals, nonferrous metals, general-purpose machinery, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, scientific research and professional services, finance, and construction. Specialized materials, machinery, and research fields pay more than the manufacturing-sector average of around ¥350,000.
Accommodation and food services are around ¥220,000, about ¥246,000 below the top sector. Even within the same prefecture, there is a large gap between R&D and materials industries and labor-intensive services.
Tsukuba, Hitachi, and Kashima form Ibaraki's high-wage triangle
Tsukuba is home to research institutions such as the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, the National Institute for Materials Science, and the University of Tsukuba, supporting higher wages in scientific and professional work. Hitachi and the Hitachinaka area contain Hitachi Group manufacturing operations, while Kamisu and Kashima host chemical, materials, and energy facilities in the Kashima coastal industrial zone.
These three areas push utilities, chemicals, research, and machinery manufacturing toward the top of the ranking. Ibaraki is also an agricultural prefecture, but its higher wage levels in these statistics are created by the research city, industrial company towns, and the coastal industrial zone.
How to read these figures
The figures in this article are published values for the stated year, area, and aggregation. Averages and rankings are affected by age composition, household composition, industry and company-size mix, and sample size. They should be read as baseline data under comparable conditions, not as predictions for an individual or household.
Summary: Ibaraki's higher-paying industries can be explained by Tsukuba, Hitachi, and Kashima
Ibaraki's highest-paying industries are research, chemicals, machinery, and infrastructure. Specific industrial centers in Tsukuba, Hitachi, and Kashima support the prefectural average and create a large gap with accommodation and food services.
- Utilities: ¥466,400
- Chemical manufacturing: ¥431,500
- Scientific research and professional services: ¥422,000
- Accommodation and food services: about ¥220,000
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2023)
📊 Analysis notes
This article is based on the following statistical data.
- Statistics used: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Basic Survey on Wage Structure (Table ID: 0003426933, view on e-Stat)
- Indicator: Scheduled monthly wages
- Aggregation: Men and women combined, all ages, all company sizes
- Area: Ibaraki Prefecture
- Year: 2023
- Independent compilation: Major industries were extracted from the published table and arranged by scheduled monthly wage
- Data retrieved: June 6, 2026
- Notes: In addition to organizing published statistics, the article may include interpretation based on regional characteristics and background. Published values and rankings should be distinguished from interpretation of their causes.
Figures in charts and tables were independently compiled and visualized from the statistical data above.