A new report from SalesNow, using data from its AI-powered corporate database, reveals the top 20 highest-paying publicly listed game companies in Japan from June 2024 to June 2025 as reported by GameSpark. Sony Group leads the list with an average annual salary of ¥11.13 million (~USD 75k), followed closely by Bandai Namco Holdings at ¥10.95 million (~USD 74k).
Nintendo ranks third at ¥9.63 million (~USD 65k), with Sega Sammy Holdings and Akatsuki rounding out the top five. Salaries for companies ranked 4th–8th fall within the ¥8 million range (~USD 54k), 9th–14th in the ¥7 million range (~USD 47k), and 15th–20th in the ¥6 million range (~USD 40k). The average salaries for all companies in the top 20 are well above Japan’s national corporate average of ¥4.26 million (~USD 27k).
Here’s the full list (translated by Google Translate and converted to USD):
| Rank | Company Name | Average Annual Income (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sony Group Corporation | 75,224 |
| 2 | Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. | 73,992 |
| 3 | Nintendo Co., Ltd. | 65,066 |
| 4 | Sazaby Inc. | 59,433 |
| 5 | Akatsuki Inc. | 57,847 |
| 6 | Capcom Co., Ltd. | 57,732 |
| 7 | Koei Tecmo Holdings Co., Ltd. | 56,299 |
| 8 | GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. | 54,796 |
| 9 | Bandai Co., Ltd. | 50,728 |
| 10 | Clue Inc. | 50,167 |
| 11 | Nexon Co., Ltd. | 49,281 |
| 12 | DriCo Inc. | 49,052 |
| 13 | Comico Inc. | 48,593 |
| 14 | Digital Hollywood Holdings, Inc. | 48,054 |
| 15 | Colopl Inc. | 45,584 |
| 16 | Imagina Inc. | 45,421 |
| 17 | KLab Inc. | 44,134 |
| 18 | Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. | 43,596 |
| 19 | Flare Inc. | 42,859 |
| 20 | Buru Inc. | 42,125 |
Japan’s game industry has long been a solid and well-paying option compared to other creative fields. While developers in places like the U.S. might earn more at the top, they often deal with job instability and project-based contracts. In the U.S., the game industry’s unemployment rate has reached approximately 9%, over twice the national average. Analysts estimate that most developers in the West change jobs every few years.
In contrast, big Japanese game companies usually offer steady, long-term employment with good benefits and reliable pay. Japan’s strict labor laws make layoffs especially difficult. Companies must prove severe financial hardship and often cut executive pay instead before considering layoffs.
