Compare pay over the same employment period, then check what each figure includes. A monthly amount, an annual amount and a government's staffing-contract budget describe different things. None should be substituted for another.
Start with the period and the included allowances
Find whether the amount is monthly, daily, hourly or annual, and how long the appointment lasts. Check whether allowances are already included before adding anything. Tsukuba's FY2027 ALT notice, for example, includes the regional allowance in its monthly figure but lists commuting, year-end, diligence and overtime payments separately. Its higher bands refer specifically to experience as an ALT in Tsukuba, not simply total teaching experience. Source: Tsukuba's salary and benefits sections.
Illustration only: a hypothetical monthly salary of ¥300,000 paid for 12 complete months totals ¥3,600,000 before deductions. That multiplication does not include a bonus, prove 12 months of paid employment, or establish anyone's take-home pay. Use the actual notice and appointment period.
A listed bonus is not a confirmed annual total
Look for 期末手当 (year-end allowance) and 勤勉手当 (diligence allowance) in public-employment notices. Tsukuba lists both, but its recruitment page does not state the number of bonus months or an individual annual payout. Adding an assumed national bonus rate would turn missing information into an invented salary. Source: the official recruitment notice.
Useful questions for the employer are:
- What bonus calculation applies to this exact appointment?
- Which salary components are used in the calculation?
- Is the first payment reduced for a partial service period?
- Do payment dates, attendance or assessment conditions affect the amount?
Gross pay and take-home pay are different
Gross pay is the amount before deductions. Take-home pay is what remains after the deductions that apply to you. JET's published remuneration is explicitly pre-tax, with income and resident taxes paid from that remuneration. Do not compare that gross figure with someone else's bank deposit or assume a single deduction percentage fits every applicant. Source: JET FAQ, remuneration and taxes.
Make a comparison you can check
- Record the same period for both roles, including the start and end dates.
- Keep confirmed recurring pay separate from unconfirmed bonus amounts.
- Check working hours, leave, school-holiday duties and commuting requirements.
- Ask for written pay conditions and clarify differences between language versions.
MHLW's English handbook explains wage and working-condition information for workers. Public appointments also have their own applicable appointment rules; the general handbook is not a substitute for the public employer's terms. Source: MHLW Working Conditions Handbook (English PDF).
When an amount or condition is missing, leave it unknown until confirmed. Japan Source Signal's reading aids do not calculate an individual entitlement or replace the official recruitment documents.