Transportation equipment manufacturing pays ¥469,300 in Tochigi, while chemical manufacturing pays ¥499,300 in Gunma, placing both near the top of their respective rankings. Rather than treating both prefectures simply as "auto-industry regions," this article looks at the difference between Tochigi's multiple manufacturing clusters and Gunma's SUBARU company-town economy combined with chemical industries.
Scheduled monthly wage ranking by industry in Tochigi (2023, top 10)
| Rank | Industry | Scheduled monthly wages (¥1,000) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electricity, gas, heat supply and water | 582.0 |
| 2 | Other business services | 491.8 |
| 3 | Transportation equipment manufacturing | 469.3 |
| 4 | Services, not elsewhere classified | 433.6 |
| 5 | Professional services | 420.1 |
| 6 | Information services | 406.0 |
| 7 | Information and communications | 404.0 |
| 8 | Scientific research, professional and technical services | 391.9 |
| 9 | Nonferrous metals manufacturing | 388.6 |
| 10 | Business-oriented machinery manufacturing | 388.1 |
Scheduled monthly wage ranking by industry in Gunma (2023, top 10)
| Rank | Industry | Scheduled monthly wages (¥1,000) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical manufacturing | 499.3 |
| 2 | Electricity, gas, heat supply and water | 485.6 |
| 3 | Information and communications equipment manufacturing | 404.9 |
| 4 | Beverages, tobacco and feed manufacturing | 385.4 |
| 5 | Medical services | 382.0 |
| 6 | Scientific research, professional and technical services | 381.0 |
| 7 | Finance and insurance | 372.8 |
| 8 | Electronic components and devices manufacturing | 367.5 |
| 9 | School education | 367.4 |
| 10 | Business-oriented machinery manufacturing | 365.5 |
Transportation equipment is a core high-paying sector in Tochigi; chemicals lead in Gunma
In Tochigi, utilities rank first at ¥582,000, followed by other business services at ¥491,800 and transportation equipment at ¥469,300. Information and professional services also sit around ¥400,000.
In Gunma, chemical manufacturing leads at ¥499,300, followed by utilities at ¥485,600. Information and communications equipment pays ¥404,900 and medical services ¥382,000. Both prefectures are manufacturing-oriented, but their top-sector combinations are not the same.
Manufacturing takes different forms in Haga and Kaminokawa versus Ota and Oizumi
Tochigi has multiple large manufacturing and R&D bases around Haga, Kaminokawa, and Moka, including Honda, Nissan, and Canon. Employment extends beyond automobiles into precision and business-oriented machinery and professional services.
Gunma's auto-industry core is SUBARU and its suppliers around Ota and Oizumi, but the ranking also shows strong chemical and information-equipment sectors. Oizumi's manufacturing workforce and the medical and commercial functions of Takasaki and Maebashi are also part of the prefecture's wage structure. Even within the broad category of "northern Kanto manufacturing," company locations and industry mixes differ.
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: Tochigi and Gunma are both industrial prefectures, but their best-paying sectors differ
Tochigi's high wages are concentrated in transportation equipment and related services, while Gunma's are led by chemicals and infrastructure alongside SUBARU-related industry. Job opportunities should be compared by specific industry and industrial cluster, not only by prefecture name.
- Tochigi transportation equipment: ¥469,300
- Gunma chemical manufacturing: ¥499,300
- Haga and Kaminokawa are manufacturing centers in Tochigi; Ota and Oizumi play that role in Gunma
- The composition of high-paying industries differs even between two manufacturing prefectures
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
- Areas: Tochigi and Gunma prefectures
- Year: 2023
- Independent compilation: Top industries were extracted from the published tables and reorganized for prefectural comparison
- 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.