ALT Salary in Japan 2026: JET vs Dispatch vs Direct Hire
A first-year ALT on the JET Programme is guaranteed about 4.02 million yen a year before tax, according to the programme's own FAQ. An ALT placed by a dispatch company earns much less: a 2023 survey, as reported by The TEFL Academy, put dispatch ALTs at around 2.47 million yen a year. Direct hire by a school or board of education sits somewhere else again, and there is no official figure for it, so treat any number you are quoted as a claim until you see it in a contract.
The route you take matters more than the city you pick. Here is how the three compare.
JET Programme pay, year by year
The JET Programme publishes one pay scale for ALTs, CIRs and SEAs. These are annual pre-tax amounts by appointment:
First appointment: 4.02 million yen
Second appointment: 4.14 million yen
Third appointment: 4.26 million yen
Fourth and fifth appointments: 4.32 million yen
The FAQ states that participants pay Japanese income tax and resident tax out of this amount, so what lands in your account is lower. We read these figures on jetprogramme.org on 5 October 2026. The programme can change them, so check the FAQ before you plan around a number.
Who can apply to JET as an ALT
From the programme's eligibility page:
- A bachelor's degree or higher, or one you will complete before the arrival date. ALT applicants can instead hold a certificate for a course of three or more years to teach at primary or secondary schools.
- Citizenship of the country where you apply. You apply through your own country's Japanese embassy or consulate.
- No age limit is stated.
- A clean record for the offences it lists, and good physical and mental health.
- You cannot have taken part for more than six years in total.
Notice what is not on the list: a TEFL certificate or Japanese ability. Interest in Japanese education and in working with children is. If you already have the degree, a 120-hour TEFL is still worth having for the application and for the direct-hire and eikaiwa routes below. Our TEFL course review covers what schools ask for.
When JET applications open
The programme's own guideline timeline runs like this:
- October to late November or early December: applications accepted. The deadline varies by country.
- January: first notice sent after the embassy reviews applications.
- February: interviews at Japanese embassies and consulates.
- Late March to April: second notice with the interview result.
- June or July: pre-departure orientation.
- July or August: departure and orientation in Tokyo.
The page says this is a guideline and subject to change. If you are reading this in October, the window for the next intake is probably open now, so look up your country's deadline on the embassy page today.
Dispatch ALTs: lower pay, thinner contract
Dispatch companies hold the contract with the school and place you in it. They take a cut, which is the main reason pay is lower than JET or a direct hire.
The TEFL Academy's guide, which cites the 2023 survey, reports dispatch ALTs at about 2.47 million yen a year against 3.75 million for JET teachers in the same survey. It also lists problems you should check for in any dispatch contract: unpaid holidays, no paid sick leave, limited or no social insurance, and no housing or flight allowance. That guide is written by a company that sells TEFL courses, so treat the list as things to ask about, then read your own contract.
Dispatch is still how many people get their first year in Japan, because it is easier to get than JET and the company handles the visa. Go in knowing the pay and what is missing.
Direct hire and eikaiwa
Direct-hire ALTs are employed by a school or board of education. Pay varies by employer and we have no official benchmark, so we are not printing one. Eikaiwa (private conversation schools) are a separate route, and our Korea vs Japan comparison puts full-time eikaiwa pay at roughly 250,000 yen a month. Compare that to a JET or dispatch offer using the monthly figure in the contract, not the headline.
Which route fits you
You have a degree, are a citizen of a JET country and can wait for the cycle: apply to JET first. It has the highest published pay, a fixed scale and an official application process.
You need to be in Japan sooner: dispatch or eikaiwa. Ask the questions below before you sign.
You are already in Japan with the right visa: look for direct-hire ALT and school roles on our Japan jobs board, and read the Japan visa guide.
Ask before you sign anything
- What is the monthly pay in yen, before and after deductions?
- Is it salaried or paid per hour taught? What happens in school holidays?
- Are paid leave and paid sick leave in writing?
- Is social insurance included?
- Who is my employer, and who sponsors my visa?
- Is housing or a flight allowance included?
For the cost side, see our Japan guide and the Tokyo page.
Sources
- JET Programme FAQ: remuneration (read 5 October 2026)
- JET Programme eligibility (read 5 October 2026)
- JET Programme application process (read 5 October 2026)
- The TEFL Academy: what are dispatch companies in Japan (read 5 October 2026)