In Kanagawa, the wage gap between large and small companies grows from ¥12,900 a month at ages 20–24 to ¥96,100 at ages 50–54. A company-size difference that looks modest at the point of hiring becomes much larger later in a career as pay raises, promotions, and benefit systems accumulate.
Scheduled monthly wages in Kanagawa by company size and age (2023, men and women combined)
| Age group | 1,000+ employees | 100–999 employees | 10–99 employees | 1,000+ minus 10–99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–24 | ¥241,500 | ¥232,400 | ¥228,600 | ¥12,900 |
| 25–29 | ¥276,400 | ¥261,400 | ¥266,200 | ¥10,200 |
| 30–34 | ¥323,200 | ¥292,500 | ¥294,400 | ¥28,800 |
| 35–39 | ¥362,700 | ¥322,200 | ¥312,100 | ¥50,600 |
| 40–44 | ¥420,100 | ¥351,400 | ¥334,800 | ¥85,300 |
| 45–49 | ¥423,400 | ¥371,200 | ¥354,700 | ¥68,700 |
| 50–54 | ¥452,100 | ¥388,100 | ¥356,000 | ¥96,100 |
| 55–59 | ¥463,000 | ¥398,000 | ¥370,500 | ¥92,500 |
The company-size gap expands sharply from the late 30s
The difference is ¥12,900 at ages 20–24 and ¥10,200 at ages 25–29. Around the entry-level years, the pay gap between companies with 1,000 or more employees and those with 10–99 employees remains relatively limited.
It widens to ¥28,800 at ages 30–34, ¥50,600 at ages 35–39, and ¥85,300 at ages 40–44, reaching ¥96,100 at ages 50–54. At large companies, regular pay raises, promotion into management, and specialist-grade systems can continue to raise wages, while pay curves at smaller firms often flatten earlier.
Major-company hubs in Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Atsugi shape the upper wage curve
Kanagawa is home to major corporate headquarters, R&D centers, and manufacturing sites, including Nissan and FUJIFILM Business Innovation in Yokohama, Fujitsu and NEC in Kawasaki, Sony and the Nissan Technical Center in Atsugi, and Isuzu Motors in Fujisawa. These companies tend to have formal paths from technical roles into management or advanced specialist positions, allowing wages to continue rising through the 40s and 50s.
Small and medium-sized companies account for a large share of employment in the prefecture and support the supply chains of major corporations, but they do not necessarily have the same number of management posts, wage tables, or profit margins. Even when younger workers start at similar pay levels, small differences in annual raises can compound into large gaps over 20 years. The company-size gap is therefore less about the first salary than about the long-term wage curve.
How to read these figures
These figures are scheduled monthly wages and do not include bonuses or overtime pay. They are averages across all industries and both sexes, so the table alone cannot separate differences in industry composition, tenure, or occupation.
Conclusion: Company size matters much more from the 40s onward
The main wage advantage of large companies in Kanagawa is not a dramatic difference in starting monthly pay, but a wage curve that continues to rise from the late 30s onward. When evaluating an employer or a job change, it is worth looking beyond the current offer to the company's raise system, promotion structure, specialist career track, and retirement benefits.
- The gap in the early 20s is ¥12,900
- It reaches ¥85,300 at ages 40–44 and ¥96,100 at ages 50–54
- Major-company hubs in Yokohama, Kawasaki, and Atsugi shape the upper end of the wage curve
- Long-term differences are driven more by raises and career systems than by starting pay
Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2023)
📊 Analysis notes
- Statistics used: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Basic Survey on Wage Structure (e-Stat table ID: 0003426933, view on e-Stat)
- Area covered: Kanagawa Prefecture
- Reference year: 2023
- Data retrieved: June 6, 2026
- Note: The article centers on values published in the official statistics. Interpretation of the background may also involve factors not directly shown in the table, such as industry composition, tenure, and occupational mix, so the published figures should be distinguished from contextual interpretation.
Figures in the table were organized from the statistical data above.