How Much Pension Will You Get in Japan? A Table by Income and Years Enrolled
A company employee's pension in Japan has two tiers: the basic old-age pension from the national pension and the old-age employees' pension. Someone who averaged 5 million yen a year and worked 38 years from age 22 to 60 receives 1,889,051 yen a year from 65, or 157,420 yen a month. This article gives a table by average income and years enrolled, totals for couples, the cap above which income stops raising your pension, and what actually reaches your bank account, using fiscal 2026 amounts.
A pension has two tiers: basic plus employees' pension
The old-age pension you receive from 65 is the sum of the basic old-age pension from the national pension, which everyone aged 20 to 60 joins, and the old-age employees' pension from any time enrolled as a company employee or public servant. Periods as a self-employed person, freelancer or an employee's dependent spouse (a Category 3 insured person) count only toward the basic pension. Periods as an employee count toward both.
| Part | What decides it | Fiscal 2026 estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Basic old-age pension | Months of premiums paid in the 40 years from age 20 to 60 | Full amount with 40 years paid: 847,300 yen a year (70,608 yen a month) |
| Old-age employees' pension (earnings-related part) | Average income × 5.481/1000 × years enrolled | 1,041,390 yen a year at 5 million yen for 38 years |
| Transitional supplement | Employees' pension periods before 20 and after 60 | Almost 0 yen if you work until 60 |
The basic pension depends only on months enrolled, regardless of income, while the employees' pension depends on how much you earned and for how long. So the difference between two people who each worked 38 years is almost entirely in the employees' pension. The full national pension and what reduces it and how the employees' pension is calculated cover the detailed rules for each.
Monthly pension by average income and years enrolled
These are monthly amounts from age 65, assuming you started as a company employee at 22 and paid national pension premiums for ages 20 to 22 and from leaving until 60. Average income includes bonuses and treats your earlier pay as if converted to today's wage levels.
| Average income | 10 years | 20 years | 30 years | 38 years | 43 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 million yen | 84,318 yen | 98,029 yen | 111,739 yen | 122,707 yen | 133,091 yen |
| 4 million yen | 88,886 yen | 107,164 yen | 125,442 yen | 140,064 yen | 152,731 yen |
| 5 million yen | 93,453 yen | 116,299 yen | 139,144 yen | 157,420 yen | 172,371 yen |
| 6 million yen | 98,021 yen | 125,434 yen | 152,847 yen | 174,777 yen | 192,011 yen |
| 7 million yen | 102,588 yen | 134,569 yen | 166,549 yen | 192,133 yen | 211,652 yen |
| 8 million yen | 107,156 yen | 143,704 yen | 180,252 yen | 209,490 yen | 231,292 yen |
| 10 million yen | 116,291 yen | 161,974 yen | 207,657 yen | 244,203 yen | 270,572 yen |
38 years means working from 22 to 60, and 43 years means from 22 to 65. Every column includes the full basic pension (70,608 yen a month), so even 10 years in the employees' pension gets you into the 80,000s a month. On the other hand, a 1 million yen difference in income changes the monthly amount by about 17,000 yen over 38 years.
Breakdown at 5 million yen for 38 years
- 1
Basic old-age pension: 847,300 yen
National pension from 20 to 22 and the employees' pension from 22 to 60 add up to 40 years (480 months) paid, so it's the full amount.
- 2
Earnings-related part: 1,041,390 yen
Take 5 million yen ÷ 12 = 416,667 yen a month, and multiply by 5.481/1000 and by 456 months enrolled.
- 3
Transitional supplement: 361 yen
If you only worked between 20 and 60, there's almost no gap between the fixed part of the employees' pension and the basic pension, so this stays at a few hundred yen.
- 4
Total: 1,889,051 yen a year (157,420 yen a month)
Pensions are paid two months at a time in even-numbered months, so each payment is around 314,841 yen.
At the same 5 million yen, working until 65 raises the earnings-related part to 1,178,415 yen and the transitional supplement to 42,745 yen, for a total of 2,068,460 yen a year (172,371 yen a month). Those 5 years after 60 add 179,409 yen a year.
A couple's combined pension
Pensions are calculated per person, so a couple's pension is the two amounts added together. Here's the total from age 65 for different combinations.
| Combination | Annual total | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|
| Employee (5 million yen, 38 years) + full-time homemaker (40 years paid) | 2,736,351 yen | 228,029 yen |
| Employee (5 million yen, 38 years) + employee for 8 years (3 million yen), then homemaker | 2,867,971 yen | 238,997 yen |
| Employee (5 million yen, 38 years) × 2 | 3,778,102 yen | 314,841 yen |
| Self-employed (40 years paid) × 2 | 1,694,600 yen | 141,216 yen |
Periods as an employee's dependent spouse (Category 3) count toward the basic pension without paying premiums, so a long time as a homemaker still yields the full basic pension. A self-employed couple, on the other hand, has only basic pensions, which comes to over 80,000 yen a month less than an employee household. The national pension article covers how self-employed people can increase theirs.
Above 10.8 million yen, your pension stops growing
Employees' pension premiums and benefits are calculated from your standard monthly remuneration (capped at 650,000 yen) and standard bonus amount (capped at 1.5 million yen per payment). So in annual terms, anything above 650,000 yen × 12 months + 1.5 million yen × 2 payments = 10.8 million yen adds nothing to your premiums or pension. Whether your average income is 12 million or 15 million yen, the pension after 38 years is the same 3,097,063 yen a year (258,088 yen a month).
- High monthly pay: the part above 650,000 yen a month isn't charged premiums and isn't reflected in your pension
- Large bonuses: the part above 1.5 million yen per payment is likewise excluded
- The cap on standard monthly remuneration is scheduled to rise in stages from September 2027
How to check your own pension amount
- 1
Check your enrollment record on Nenkin Teikibin or Nenkin Net
The Nenkin Teikibin (annual pension notice) that arrives in your birth month, or Nenkin Net online, shows your months in the national and employees' pensions and the pension amount based on your record so far.
- 2
Enter your enrollment and average income in the Pension Amount Calculator
Enter the ages you were in the employees' pension, your average income, and any years unpaid or exempted, and you'll see your annual and monthly amount from 65 with a breakdown.
- 3
Try changing the age you start receiving it
Depending on when you start between 60 and 75, your monthly amount goes up by as much as 84% or down by as much as 24%. The break-even point for delayed or early claiming explains when you come out ahead.
Pension amounts are revised every April in line with prices and wages. The amounts here are for fiscal 2026 (from April 2026), and future amounts will change with those revisions. Use them as a guide for comparison at today's levels.
FAQ
- How much pension does a company employee earning 5 million yen get?
- With 38 years in the employees' pension from 22 to 60 at an average of 5 million yen, it's 1,889,051 yen a year (157,420 yen a month) from 65. Working until 65, for 43 years, makes it 2,068,460 yen a year (172,371 yen a month). These are fiscal 2026 amounts.
- How much is a couple's combined pension?
- A company employee (5 million yen, 38 years) and a full-time homemaker (40 years paid) get 2,736,351 yen a year (228,029 yen a month). A self-employed couple who both paid for 40 years have only basic pensions, or 1,694,600 yen a year (141,216 yen a month).
- Does a higher income raise my pension without limit?
- No. Because of the 650,000 yen cap on standard monthly remuneration and the 1.5 million yen cap per bonus, income above 10.8 million yen isn't reflected in your pension. With 38 years enrolled, the estimated maximum is 3,097,063 yen a year even if your average income is higher.
- Which year's income counts as the average income?
- It's the average across your entire time in the employees' pension, not your final income. The actual calculation applies revaluation rates that convert past pay to today's levels, so an average that treats your earlier pay at today's levels gives a good estimate.
Tools in this article
Related articles
Break-Even for Delaying or Claiming Japan's Pension Early: Which Starting Age Pays Off?
You can choose to start your Japanese pension at any point between 60 and 75. Delaying to 70 raises your monthly amount by 42%, but it takes until 81 years and 11 months to make up the 5 years you went without. This article covers the rate at each starting age, the break-even points, cumulative totals for someone earning 5 million yen, and what to keep in mind about the spouse supplement and taxes.
Read article →How Much Is Japan's National Pension? The Full Amount and What Unpaid or Exempt Years Cost
Japan's national pension (the basic old-age pension) reaches its full amount if you pay premiums for the 40 years from age 20 to 60. In fiscal 2026, that's 847,300 yen a year, or 70,608 yen a month. For self-employed people, freelancers and full-time homemakers, this may be their entire retirement pension. This article covers the amount by years paid, how much unpaid, exempt and student deferral periods reduce it, the 10-year eligibility requirement, and ways to increase it, such as the additional pension.
Read article →How Japan's Employees' Pension Is Calculated: The Earnings-Related Part and What Working Past 60 Adds
Japan's employees' pension (the old-age employees' pension) depends on your average income while working and your months enrolled. At an average of 5 million yen, each year you work adds 27,405 yen a year to your pension from 65. This article covers the formula for the earnings-related part, the often-overlooked transitional supplement, how much working past 60 and 65 adds, and when the pension for working seniors suspends it.
Read article →