Business · Companies · 2 days ago
Finance and strategy roles have the highest median pay at Japanese startups
A review of about 5,500 people who joined startups in Japan between January 2020 and the end of May 2026 compared pay by job and age.
Finance and accounting roles had a median annual salary of 9.38 million yen, while business planning and development roles had a median of 9.55 million yen.
These were higher than the medians for engineering and legal jobs, both at 8.19 million yen, and for creative, sales, marketing, and human resources roles.
The figures suggest startups pay more for people involved in company finances, fundraising, and growth strategy.
The business environment for startups is changing amid generative AI, more difficult fundraising, and shifts in the conditions for company exits.
The headline also notes that people in their 60s receive the highest pay in some job categories, but does not specify which ones.
Startups pay the highest median salaries in corporate planning, business development and business planning roles, followed by finance and accounting.
The analysis found median annual salaries of 9.55 million yen for planning roles and 9.38 million yen for finance and accounting.
The figures were based on about 5,500 records of startup executives and employees who joined through recruitment firm For Startups between January 2020 and the end of May 2026.
The article says startups offer higher pay to people close to management, who are important for setting growth strategies and raising funds.
- Who
- Startup executives and employees in data collected through For Startups.
- What
- An analysis found that corporate and business planning roles had the highest median salaries, followed by finance and accounting.
- When
- The data covered January 2020 through the end of May 2026. The article was published on October 10, 2026, in Japan.
- Where
- Japan; the article examined startup salaries.
- Why
- The article says these roles are valuable because they are needed for growth strategy and fundraising.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
No direct quotes in the coverage so far.
The analysis covered about 5,500 records of executives and employees who joined startups through For Startups.
Toyo Keizai published its analysis of startup salaries by job type and age group.
- Data set
- About 5,500 records
- Data period
- January 2020–end of May 2026
- Top median salary
- 9.55 million yen for corporate planning, business development and business planning
- Finance and accounting median
- 9.38 million yen
- Engineering median
- 8.19 million yen
Sources
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