March 2026 Average Hourly Wage for Temporary Staff is 1,708 Yen, Exceeding Previous Year for 42 Consecutive Months
En-Japan's 'En-Haken' reported that the average hourly wage for temporary staff in March 2026 was 1,708 yen, marking 42 consecutive months of year-on-year increases. Office work saw a peak in job postings, while high-paying inside sales positions boosted the average hourly wage in sales, marketing, and service roles.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 22:03
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 13:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 12:13 (94h 41m after Collected)
En-Japan Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Chairman and President: Michikatsu Ochi) operates 'En-Haken' (https://haken.en-japan.com/), Japan's largest job search site for temporary staffing. The site aggregates job posting information for all job categories (*) listed on the site by area (*) and analyzes the average hourly wage at the time of recruitment. We are pleased to announce the aggregated results for March 2026. *Job categories and areas classified on 'En-Haken'
## TOPICS
* The average hourly wage in the three major metropolitan areas was 1,708 yen. This marks 42 consecutive months of year-on-year increases.
* For office work, the number of job postings peaked for April hires.
* In sales, marketing, and service roles, "inside sales" boosted the average hourly wage.
## Overview Commentary
The average hourly wage in the three major metropolitan areas for March 2026 was 1,708 yen (down 1 yen, 0.1% from the previous month; up 9 yen, 0.5% from the same month last year). This is the 42nd consecutive month of year-on-year increases.
For office work and administrative roles, the average was 1,672 yen (down 14 yen from the previous month; up 23 yen from the same month last year). March is typically the peak season for recruitment targeting April hires. Among the diverse job postings, there were highly specialized positions exceeding 2,000 yen per hour, requiring experience with specific customer management systems, which supported the hourly wage level. On the other hand, job postings welcoming inexperienced candidates and those in suburban areas also increased, leading to a slight month-on-month decrease in the overall average hourly wage for the category.
For sales, marketing, and service roles, the average was 1,644 yen (up 5 yen from the previous month), making it the only category among the seven major job types to show a month-on-month increase. In particular, the increase in job postings for high-paying "inside sales" (1,849 yen) contributed to the rise in hourly wages. Inside sales is a difficult position to fill even for permanent employees, but companies' need to quickly secure immediate talent has led to increased recruitment of temporary staff.
In April, the number of job postings typically calms down after the March peak. However, in the service sector, job postings are expected to increase in anticipation of long holidays such as Golden Week and summer vacation. High-paying job postings requiring language skills are also expected to increase, and hourly wages are predicted to continue a gradual upward trend from April onwards.
* Average hourly wages by job category in the three major metropolitan areas were positive year-on-year for all categories except [Technical roles].
* Average hourly wages by area for March were positive year-on-year for all areas.
* March Job Category / Year-on-Year Hourly Wage Increase Ranking
* March Job Category / Hourly Wage Ranking
## Japan's Largest Job Information Site Specializing in Temporary Staffing: 'En-Haken' https://haken.en-japan.com/
'En-Haken' is Japan's largest aggregated temporary staffing information site, connecting job seekers looking for temporary work with temporary staffing agencies nationwide. Its site design emphasizes matching the diverse needs of those who want to work as temporary staff with the job information held by staffing agencies. It ensures that no job information is buried, delivering it to temporary staff users who desire it.
* Some job category classifications were partially changed from October 2025. While new categories and name changes were reviewed, the continuity of time-series comparison is ensured.
Press Release Download
d725-1187-2c685be81399af7c01e5d88405e46dda.pdf
Temporary Staff Hourly Wages in Areas Outside the Three Major Metropolitan Areas
d725-1187-84619f0663aa8640e12ef7c35cff8471.pdf
En-Japan Inc.
Public Relations Department
TEL: 03-3342-6590
E-mail: en-press@en-japan.com
## TOPICS
* The average hourly wage in the three major metropolitan areas was 1,708 yen. This marks 42 consecutive months of year-on-year increases.
* For office work, the number of job postings peaked for April hires.
* In sales, marketing, and service roles, "inside sales" boosted the average hourly wage.
## Overview Commentary
The average hourly wage in the three major metropolitan areas for March 2026 was 1,708 yen (down 1 yen, 0.1% from the previous month; up 9 yen, 0.5% from the same month last year). This is the 42nd consecutive month of year-on-year increases.
For office work and administrative roles, the average was 1,672 yen (down 14 yen from the previous month; up 23 yen from the same month last year). March is typically the peak season for recruitment targeting April hires. Among the diverse job postings, there were highly specialized positions exceeding 2,000 yen per hour, requiring experience with specific customer management systems, which supported the hourly wage level. On the other hand, job postings welcoming inexperienced candidates and those in suburban areas also increased, leading to a slight month-on-month decrease in the overall average hourly wage for the category.
For sales, marketing, and service roles, the average was 1,644 yen (up 5 yen from the previous month), making it the only category among the seven major job types to show a month-on-month increase. In particular, the increase in job postings for high-paying "inside sales" (1,849 yen) contributed to the rise in hourly wages. Inside sales is a difficult position to fill even for permanent employees, but companies' need to quickly secure immediate talent has led to increased recruitment of temporary staff.
In April, the number of job postings typically calms down after the March peak. However, in the service sector, job postings are expected to increase in anticipation of long holidays such as Golden Week and summer vacation. High-paying job postings requiring language skills are also expected to increase, and hourly wages are predicted to continue a gradual upward trend from April onwards.
* Average hourly wages by job category in the three major metropolitan areas were positive year-on-year for all categories except [Technical roles].
* Average hourly wages by area for March were positive year-on-year for all areas.
* March Job Category / Year-on-Year Hourly Wage Increase Ranking
* March Job Category / Hourly Wage Ranking
## Japan's Largest Job Information Site Specializing in Temporary Staffing: 'En-Haken' https://haken.en-japan.com/
'En-Haken' is Japan's largest aggregated temporary staffing information site, connecting job seekers looking for temporary work with temporary staffing agencies nationwide. Its site design emphasizes matching the diverse needs of those who want to work as temporary staff with the job information held by staffing agencies. It ensures that no job information is buried, delivering it to temporary staff users who desire it.
* Some job category classifications were partially changed from October 2025. While new categories and name changes were reviewed, the continuity of time-series comparison is ensured.
Press Release Download
d725-1187-2c685be81399af7c01e5d88405e46dda.pdf
Temporary Staff Hourly Wages in Areas Outside the Three Major Metropolitan Areas
d725-1187-84619f0663aa8640e12ef7c35cff8471.pdf
En-Japan Inc.
Public Relations Department
TEL: 03-3342-6590
E-mail: en-press@en-japan.com