Scheduled monthly wages at companies with 10–99 employees range from ¥385,700 in Tokyo to ¥301,300 in Gunma, a difference of ¥84,400 per month. Tokyo and Kanagawa remain at the top even when only small companies are compared, while Tochigi ranks third thanks in part to its deep manufacturing supply chains.
Scheduled monthly wage ranking for small companies (10–99 employees) in the seven Kanto prefectures (2023, all ages, men and women combined)
| Rank | Prefecture | Scheduled monthly wages | Monthly wage × 12, approximate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo | ¥385.7k | About ¥4.63 million |
| 2 | Kanagawa | ¥358.3k | About ¥4.30 million |
| 3 | Tochigi | ¥322.7k | About ¥3.87 million |
| 4 | Saitama | ¥315.6k | About ¥3.79 million |
| 5 | Ibaraki | ¥310.4k | About ¥3.73 million |
| 6 | Chiba | ¥307.2k | About ¥3.69 million |
| 7 | Gunma | ¥301.3k | About ¥3.62 million |
Tokyo stands out even among small companies, while Tochigi leads northern Kanto
Tokyo is at ¥385,700 and Kanagawa ¥358,300, both well above third-place Tochigi at ¥322,700. Saitama at ¥315,600, Ibaraki at ¥310,400, Chiba at ¥307,200, and Gunma at ¥301,300 are all clustered within about ¥30,000.
A simple annualization of the monthly Tokyo–Gunma gap is about ¥1.01 million. Regional differences remain even after large companies are excluded, which means local customer pricing, industry mix, labor demand, and cost structures also affect SME wages.
Even without large companies, urban customers and industrial clusters shape wages
Tokyo has many small and midsize firms in professional services, software, licensed professions, and other fields that sell to major corporate headquarters or high-value sectors such as finance, IT, and advertising. That environment makes it easier to reflect higher unit prices in wages. Kanagawa similarly has many technical SMEs supporting R&D and manufacturing centers in Yokohama and Kawasaki.
In northern Kanto, local firms receive work from supply chains centered on Honda, Nissan, and Canon in Tochigi; Hitachi and Kashima in Ibaraki; and SUBARU in Gunma. The ranking shows that "small company" does not mean the same pay nationwide: proximity to particular industries and customers matters.
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: SME wages are also shaped by the surrounding industrial ecosystem
Even among small companies, Tokyo and Kanagawa pay the most, with Tochigi in third place. Company size alone does not determine wages; regions connected to high-value headquarters, professional services, or manufacturing supply chains tend to support higher pay.
- Tokyo: ¥385,700
- Kanagawa: ¥358,300; Tochigi: ¥322,700
- Tokyo–Gunma gap: ¥84,400 per month
- When evaluating an SME, check both its industry and its major customers
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 (Table ID: 0003426933, view on e-Stat)
- Area: Seven Kanto prefectures
- Year: 2023
- Data retrieved: June 6, 2026
- Notes: The article primarily organizes published statistical values. Interpreting the background also involves factors outside the table, including industrial and occupational composition, so directly observable figures should be distinguished from interpretation.
Figures in charts and tables were independently compiled and visualized from the statistical data above.