Wages

[Nige]

What is considered a good living wage in Tokyo? I have been offered a job in Tokyo but don't want to undercut myself on the wages area.
After all I am only interested in what I can walk away with at the end of the day.

At the moment I am basing all wage assumptions on an equivalent wage for my job in New York plus around forty per cent as a top level starting point.
This job will entail about 50-55 hours a week working for a very large New York based media company. Everything else has to be thrashed out so any other tips will be appreciated.

Final note, this is a position being created for me!

Comments greatly recieved

thanks

N

[hypertokyo]

As a starting point you might want to check out the Pot Poll regarding wages (go to the Gaijinpot homepage and scroll down for the poll).

Results as of the moment (Friday May 30):
Results based on 131 votes
Answer 1: Sh*t (< 3 million yen/year)
Responses: 31%
Answer 2: Scraping by (3-5 million yen/year)
Responses: 48%
Answer 3: Decent (5-9 million yen/year)
Responses: 12%
Answer 4: Nothing to sniff at (10-20 million yen/year)
Responses: 3%
Answer 5: Jaw-dropping (more than 20 million yen/year)
Responses: 3%

Most gaijin who come to this site earn 3-5 million yen per year.
I think that a good average wage for a mid-career gaijin here in Tokyo,
and one you can live off comfortably. By the way, the figures in Japan
usually quoted before tax and after bonuses.

I don't think Tokyo is 40% more expensive than New York, though -
maybe the same or 10-15% higher would be a better estimate.
With deflation, it is not really that more expensive than NY or London.
If you insist on living the high life it would be a different story though.

One thing you should definitely try to get is a company apartment or
at least a rent subsidy. Housing is very expensive for what you pay.

Looking forward to hearing more color from other posters.