Monthly salary of care home workers tops 300,000 Yen

April 10, 2019

Tokyo--A welfare ministry survey showed Wednesday that the average monthly salary of regular workers at elderly nursing care facilities has exceeded 300,000 for the first time since the survey started in 2009.

The average stood at 300,970 yen as of September 2018 among facilities receiving government support aimed at promoting pay increases for care workers, up by 10,850 yen from a year earlier.

The growth reflected not only a boost from the program but also upward pressure on wages caused by manpower shortages at many facilities, ministry officials said.

The survey, which covered 10,670 facilities including special care homes, was conducted in October 2018. Valid answers came from 74.1 pct. Monthly salaries include basic pay, allowances and bonuses.

According to the survey, average basic pay stood at 181,220, up by 3,230 yen.

Allowances increased by 3,610 yen to 71,330 yen, and lump-sum benefits including bonuses rose by 4,010 yen to 48,420 yen.

The average monthly salary rose year on year regardless of the number of years of employees' service. Those who worked for one year received the biggest pay increase of 28,590 yen, while those who worked over 10 years received the smallest rise of 8,160 yen.

Asked about how the facilities raised monthly pay, with multiple answers allowed, 21.1 pct cited pay-scale hikes, 69.9 pct regular rises and 31.3 pct rises in allowances.

The ministry also said the average monthly salary of regular workers at welfare facilities for the disabled also covered by the pay hike promotion program stood at 297,761 yen as of September 2018, up 13,045 yen from a year before.

This survey covered 10,302 facilities, of which 65.1 pct gave valid responses. Jiji Press