Tokyo exceeds Kanagawa in every age group shown. The gap is not constant, however: it ranges from ¥8,200 for ages 20–24 to ¥47,000 for ages 60–64. The difference between the two prefectures appears less in starting pay for younger workers than in promotion into management and professional roles—and in employment conditions after age 60.
Scheduled monthly wages by age in Tokyo and Kanagawa (2023, men and women combined)
| Age group | Tokyo | Kanagawa | Difference (Tokyo − Kanagawa) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20–24 | ¥266,200 | ¥258,000 | +¥8,200 |
| 25–29 | ¥315,300 | ¥305,200 | +¥10,100 |
| 30–34 | ¥355,200 | ¥345,200 | +¥10,000 |
| 35–39 | ¥401,000 | ¥379,400 | +¥21,600 |
| 40–44 | ¥425,700 | ¥417,700 | +¥8,000 |
| 45–49 | ¥452,900 | ¥425,500 | +¥27,400 |
| 50–54 | ¥465,400 | ¥440,700 | +¥24,700 |
| 55–59 | ¥490,400 | ¥455,100 | +¥35,300 |
| 60–64 | ¥395,300 | ¥348,300 | +¥47,000 |
Around ¥10,000 for younger workers, rising to ¥30,000–¥40,000 in the late 50s and early 60s
The gap is ¥8,200 at ages 20–24, ¥10,100 at ages 25–29, and ¥10,000 at ages 30–34. From the start of a career through the early 30s, the difference between Tokyo and Kanagawa remains relatively small.
By contrast, the gap reaches ¥27,400 at ages 45–49, ¥35,300 at ages 55–59, and ¥47,000 at ages 60–64. It does not widen in a straight line—the difference narrows to just ¥8,000 at ages 40–44—but overall, Tokyo's premium becomes more visible among middle-aged and older workers.
Comparing Tokyo's headquarters managers with Kanagawa's R&D and technical workforce
Tokyo has dense concentrations of finance, trading companies, major corporate headquarters, and foreign firms in Chiyoda, Minato, and Chuo wards. As workers age, the pay of managers and specialists in these sectors is more likely to lift the average. Shibuya and Shinagawa also contain large pools of IT and business-development jobs, giving Tokyo a deeper layer of occupations with high salary ranges after promotion and helping explain the larger gap from the late 40s onward.
Kanagawa also has major research, development, and manufacturing bases operated by companies such as Nissan, Fujitsu, NEC, and Sony, and at ages 40–44 the difference narrows to only ¥8,000. Tokyo still leads overall because the key distinction is not simply the prefectural border but how many headquarters functions and senior management positions are concentrated at workplaces in each area. This is a workplace-based wage statistic, so the earnings of someone who lives in Kanagawa but commutes to a job in Tokyo are counted on the Tokyo side.
How to read these figures
These figures are scheduled monthly wages and do not include bonuses or overtime pay. They are averages across both sexes and all industries, so the table alone cannot separate differences in industry mix, company size, or occupation.
Conclusion: The Tokyo–Kanagawa gap widens later in a career, not at entry
The wage gap between Tokyo and Kanagawa is small for younger workers entering the labor market and becomes larger among middle-aged and older workers, when management and specialist jobs are more common, as well as in employment conditions after age 60. These figures describe differences in the mix of jobs at workplaces in Tokyo and Kanagawa; they are not a direct comparison of how affluent residents of the two prefectures are.
- The gap is ¥8,200 at ages 20–24
- It widens to ¥35,300 at ages 55–59 and ¥47,000 at ages 60–64
- Tokyo's headquarters, finance, and foreign-company jobs and Kanagawa's manufacturing and R&D roles affect the averages
- The data are better read as a comparison of where and in what occupations people work than as a simple question of whether to live in Tokyo or Kanagawa
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)
- Areas covered: Tokyo Metropolis and 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 mix, company-size composition, and occupational mix, so the published figures should be distinguished from contextual interpretation.
Figures in the table were organized from the statistical data above.