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Splatoon 3 Level Designer position posted, entry level salary: about $35k USD a year with benefits

scitek

scitek

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,054
This does seem low. This is anecdotal, but I interviewed for an entry level job on the AV team (they make the Nintendo Directs) back in 2016, and I said my expectations were mid-60s, and I was told that was "right in line" with what they were looking to pay. Mid 60s in Seattle isn't amazing, but you can get by on it, so take that for what it's worth.
 
platypotamus

platypotamus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,354
My starting salary in my first level design job in CA (orange county) in 2003 was $40k. I do not have adequate economic knowledge to compare living in Japan in 2021 to living in CA in 2003, so I dunno what you all can do with that information, but there you go. I did crunch hard enough that if I were working that many hours for a minimum wage job that paid overtime, I would have been making more money overall though.
 
Oichi

Oichi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
182
Osaka
Having lived in Kansai for 10+ years now, the starting salary is a bit low but expected for a 0 year person coming in. The increases after that are in line with other companies. It's definitely not low, and easily something you can live on in Japan, especially in Kansai.

It should be noted that this salary doesn't include yearly bonuses, which are paid out twice a year. And Nintendo pays out the best in the Japanese game industry. I've read reports that in very good years (like now thanks to the Switch) employees get the equivalent of their yearly salary as their winter bonus if they're on high performing titles.
 
Incubuster

Incubuster

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,260
From my extremely limited knowledge of life in Japan, isn't it generally regarded as a relatively expensive place to live? Those benefits seem pretty nice.
 
RecRoulette

RecRoulette

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,044
People are fixated on the 35k when the benefits seem pretty damn good.

They did something similar for the Octo Expansion and that was the best single player content Splatoon had, glad they're bringing new folks in.
 
treasureyez

treasureyez

Member
Nov 23, 2017
1,337
Why is everyone comparing this to their local economy, and also ignoring the fact that this is a gateway into what is likely a lifetime, career-defining role? Completely unhinged discussion in here.
 
Mesoian

Mesoian

▲ Legend ▲
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Oct 28, 2017
26,432
The only time I made less money than what they're offering for this position is when I was working as a grocery cashier as a teenager.

That salary sucks, I don't care where you are.
 
ss_lemonade

ss_lemonade

Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,650
If I were still living in the Philippines, that type of entry level salary would have been amazing. In comparison, IIRC I was making around 12k Philippine Pesos straight out of college as a web developer, a month! This was also more than 10 years ago though, I think the starting pay in the area where I used to work has doubled now (I mean, I hope it's that or more than doubled because 12k was awful even back then).

Converted to usd, that's around $240 a month. Yeah...

I now work in the US doing the exact same type of work and the salary difference was mind boggling (to me at least).
 
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UltraGashInferno

UltraGashInferno

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,050
as if a job at Nintendo was worth $35k and absolutely nothing else

this position already has a gazillion applicants probably
 
Syriel

Syriel

Banned
Dec 13, 2017
11,088
Oichi said:
Having lived in Kansai for 10+ years now, the starting salary is a bit low but expected for a 0 year person coming in. The increases after that are in line with other companies. It's definitely not low, and easily something you can live on in Japan, especially in Kansai.

It should be noted that this salary doesn't include yearly bonuses, which are paid out twice a year. And Nintendo pays out the best in the Japanese game industry. I've read reports that in very good years (like now thanks to the Switch) employees get the equivalent of their yearly salary as their winter bonus if they're on high performing titles.
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That makes quite a bit of difference if it is fairly consistent over time.
 
UltraGashInferno

UltraGashInferno

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,050
Mesoian said:
The only time I made less money than what they're offering for this position is when I was working as a grocery cashier as a teenager.

That salary sucks, I don't care where you are.
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At least at the grocery store you can work your way up to shift leader then assistant supervisor then supervisor then assistant manager etc.

at nintendo, where do you go from there? nobody gets past miyamoto
 
edo_kid

edo_kid

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Oct 27, 2017
11,087
I cannot believe after 6 pages people still comparing their local economy to that of another country... it's both sad and comical.
 

Deleted member 46804

User requested account closure
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Aug 17, 2018
4,129
delete12345 said:
Yeah. Here's a better comparison:

Cost of Living in Japan: What You Should Know | InterNations

Why is it so expensive to live in Japan? The answer may surprise you. Read our InterNations cost of living section to learn more.
www.internations.org www.internations.org

In Japan, we use monthly salary rather than yearly salary.

$35K/year = approximately $2916/month. For sake of clarity, we'll round this to $2920.

An average worker's monthly salary is around 280,000–300,000 JPY per month, or 2,500–2,700 USD per month. Nintendo's offering is above average, and thus, is considered well-paid.

A single person living in Tokyo can expect to spend around 120,000 JPY (1,100 USD) per month, not including rent. If you add in the average rental price for a one-bedroom apartment, this expense goes up to nearly 245,000 JPY (2,200 USD). A family living in Tokyo will see that number tripled, because there are family-oriented, additional benefits.

Charizard

OP, please update your thread post and add some additional notes to compare salary with cost of living in Japan. Rather than directly converting to USD and comparing it with the cost of living in America.
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Can you expound upon the family benefits? Does one see a triple increase in salary? I wouldn't say having a few hundred dollars left over each month after paying your bills and rent is well paid.
 
Forkball

Forkball

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,940
Charizard said:
When I get home from work I'm gonna edit the OP to say that when I said it's kinda average, I meant that it is indeed a typical entry level wage in Kyoto and not low at all, just not the kind of wage you'd expect in the US. Oopsies

...it wont help will it
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Well, what was your goal for this topic? It's obviously a lower salary than tech jobs in bigger American cities. Did you think people weren't going to notice or touch on that? You made a disingenuous topic designed to spark outrage.
 
Chopchop

Chopchop

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,171
The pay itself sounds low, but paying for your commute is really nice. It's like a soft raise.

And what's "housing allowance"? If they pay for your rent, then that's amazing.

Oichi said:
Having lived in Kansai for 10+ years now, the starting salary is a bit low but expected for a 0 year person coming in. The increases after that are in line with other companies. It's definitely not low, and easily something you can live on in Japan, especially in Kansai.

It should be noted that this salary doesn't include yearly bonuses, which are paid out twice a year. And Nintendo pays out the best in the Japanese game industry. I've read reports that in very good years (like now thanks to the Switch) employees get the equivalent of their yearly salary as their winter bonus if they're on high performing titles.
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Yearly bonuses sound nice too. So many companies that I've worked with are just like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ when it comes to raises and bonuses.
 
Nomujoa

Nomujoa

Member
Oct 30, 2017
124
Chopchop said:
The pay itself sounds low, but paying for your commute is really nice. It's like a soft raise.

And what's "housing allowance"? If they pay for your rent, then that's amazing.
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They pay for your rent - its standard practise for a lot of Japanese corp companies. They have apartments [pretty normal] - studios or 1LDKs for day to day staff, and as you go up the employee generally gets a choice of where to live and the company pays for it
 
Chopchop

Chopchop

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Oct 25, 2017
14,171
Nomujoa said:
They pay for your rent - its standard practise for a lot of Japanese corp companies. They have apartments [pretty normal] - studios or 1LDKs for day to day staff, and as you go up the employee generally gets a choice of where to live and the company pays for it
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Wow, that's amazing. I know some people here (Canada) who have to spend like half their paycheck every month on rent alone.

So at a glance, the salary alone might look a bit low to someone who lives in another country, but it actually sounds quite nice, especially for an entry level position.

In my experience, "entry level" generally means "go fuck yourself, and we know you'll tolerate our shit for a year or two until you find another job." This position sounds like it could support someone's livelihood, and the perks are enough to make someone actually want to stay working at the place.
 
Nomujoa

Nomujoa

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Oct 30, 2017
124
Chopchop said:
Wow, that's amazing. I know some people here (Canada) who have to spend like half their paycheck every month on rent alone.
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Studio/1LDK's + bills + food are normally about 30% of your salary, it's when you go to a 2LDK or above that the rent just goes to insane values, but you tend to only move into these types of apartment when you are living with someone so as long as you are smart, you should still be good. Given that health insurance is a fraction of what it is in the states, and gives you 80% off the cost of most medical care - you have more money in your wallet at the end of the month than some other western countries I've worked at.

Given the avg cost of an apartment near where Nintendo HQ is, you are looking at a $12-17k increase from rent - probably about $2000 on bills with about $1200 for travel [commute fee is actually baseline on all contracts in Japan] per year [this is for the entry level - like I said, if you had 10+ years experience, you are likely to ask and expect to have paid a 2LDK or above - and the rent for that in Kyoto is realistically closer to $36-$45k a year]
 
StereoVSN

StereoVSN

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Nov 1, 2017
13,620
Eastern US
The entree level positions and the one next one up in experience are alright, IMO, considering benefits, housing and transport allowance and medical.

10 year and 15 year salaries are crazy low.
 
Chopchop

Chopchop

Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,171
Nomujoa said:
Studio/1LDK's + bills + food are normally about 30% of your salary, it's when you go to a 2LDK or above that the rent just goes to insane values, but you tend to only move into these types of apartment when you are living with someone so as long as you are smart, you should still be good. Given that health insurance is a fraction of what it is in the states, and gives you 80% off the cost of most medical care - you have more money in your wallet at the end of the month than some other western countries I've worked at.

Given the avg cost of an apartment near where Nintendo HQ is, you are looking at a $12-17k increase from rent - probably about $2000 on bills with about $1200 for travel [commute fee is actually baseline on all contracts in Japan] per year
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When you add up all that together, it sounds like quite a nice compensation package, especially for an entry level job.
 
Bossking

Bossking

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Nov 20, 2017
1,392
Median cost of living in Kyoto, including rent for an apartment, is roughly $1420 a month when converted. Average rent is around $450.

The average rent for a two bedroom apartment in Phoenix alone is roughly $1533.

Now imagine you didn't have to pay rent. Now imagine you didn't have to pay for your commute to work. Then imagine that you're paying for some of the most affordable healthcare in the world. Shit, imagine having benefits AT ALL. Bonuses. Relocation assistance. Basically, $35k working for Nintendo is going to get you a LOT more than, I dunno, some catering job anywhere in the United States.
 
StereoVSN

StereoVSN

Member
Nov 1, 2017
13,620
Eastern US
If they do have a bonus structure that could also help a lot. Had couple friends who worked on Wall Street. Their bonuses right out of college were 5x their salaries. :)
 
StereoVSN

StereoVSN

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Nov 1, 2017
13,620
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Bossking said:
Median cost of living in Kyoto, including rent for an apartment, is roughly $1420 a month when converted. Average rent is around $450.

The average rent for a two bedroom apartment in Phoenix alone is roughly $1533.

Now imagine you didn't have to pay rent. Now imagine you didn't have to pay for your commute to work. Then imagine that you're paying for some of the most affordable healthcare in the world. Shit, imagine having benefits AT ALL. Basically, $35k working for Nintendo is going to get you a LOT more than, I dunno, some catering job anywhere in the United States.
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Yeap. This is right, especially with bonuses. However, 10 year and 15 year salaries are low even with all of that, IMO.

In US it would be common to have somebody in IT make 3-5x their starting salary (plus bonus) after 10-15 years. I imagine it's similar in Western Europe.

Unless Nintendo really has very very good bonus structure, senior designer salaries are meh.
 
HotHamBoy

HotHamBoy

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Oct 27, 2017
16,423
35k seems low but that's also what teachers make and I'd probably rather do this than deal with public education
 
A Grizzly Bear

A Grizzly Bear

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
2,095
One day people on era will learn about total compensation and stop looking at just salary.

Benefits seem really good.
 

ElNino

Member
Nov 6, 2017
3,706
Charizard said:
When I get home from work I'm gonna edit the OP to say that when I said it's kinda average, I meant that it is indeed a typical entry level wage in Kyoto and not low at all, just not the kind of wage you'd expect in the US. Oopsies

...it wont help will it
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But you also have people in this thread confirming that their entry level jobs were also around $35k (at least in Canada). What people "expect" and what is available are often two different things.
 
RiamuFG

RiamuFG

Director at Chuhai Labs
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Oct 25, 2017
81
Kyoto, Japan
This is average for Japan.

Compared to other companies in the area; it's actually about 10k higher.

Also, everyone seems to have next to zero knowledge of how bonuses work in Japan (they literally are your salary on top in most instances). Plus housing allowance with Nintendo is incredibly good from what I understand.
 
belairjeff

belairjeff

J->E Localization
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Oct 25, 2017
4,100
I live in osaka, and it's my dream to work for Nintendo (or the industry in general) but my Japanese isn't good enough yet. Still studying— I'm about N3 level.
Wish I could find a job in the industry here speaking English because I do have a business degree and accounting experience and think I'd do very well in a international marketing/PR type role.
 
RiamuFG

RiamuFG

Director at Chuhai Labs
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
81
Kyoto, Japan
belairjeff said:
I live in osaka, and it's my dream to work for Nintendo (or the industry in general) but my Japanese isn't good enough yet. Still studying— I'm about N3 level.
Wish I could find a job in the industry here speaking English because I do have a business degree and accounting experience and think I'd do very well in a marketing/PR type role.
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Let me know if you'd like any advice.
 
entrydenied

entrydenied

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
7,561
StereoVSN said:
The entree level positions and the one next one up in experience are alright, IMO, considering benefits, housing and transport allowance and medical.

10 year and 15 year salaries are crazy low.
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The 10 year and 15 year salaries might be just for this role and not the salary you will get after working there for 15 years. The numbers might be role specific and I expect that someone would get promoted or switch roles at least 3 to 5 times in a course of 15 years in a company, especially if you start out at an entry position.

What this also tells me is that the company's pay scale is much flatter compared to the ones that pay their CEO 300 times of the average pay.

Tech salaries and cost of living in cities that have many of these jobs is an unhealthy vicious cycle. It does not matter if someone is getting a 60k or 80k annual package as an entry level role in these cities, when the bulk of it goes to rental and other costs, leaving you with less purchasing power than someone in another country.
 
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Deleted member 28386

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Oct 31, 2017
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Executive Taxi said:
This thread is exactly why people laugh at this forum
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I live here and for several years was in Kyoto. This is a great starting salary and typical for this country. The benefits are above average too. But this has been 6 pages of ignorance and it's baffling. I live in a very posh part of one of the nicer cities in this country but since I live in a small one bedroom (I spend most of my time at work so I just need a place to sleep and unwind) I pay less than $450 US a month on rent.
 
Parcas

Parcas

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Dec 12, 2017
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I find surreal how many people try to mak
edo_kid said:
I cannot believe after 6 pages people still comparing their local economy to that of another country... it's both sad and comical.
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This! thanks for raising it!

It is surreal how people come to conclusions without factoring that they have no fucking clue about how salary structure is in Japan or the benefits that come in the job.
 
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