A new study reveals which Japanese game companies pay their employees the most, with some surprising results. Sony topped the list, while gaming giant Square Enix didn’t even make it into the top 20.

Japanese software company SalesNow looked at average yearly salaries at domestic game companies from June 2024 to June 2025. They used data from SalesNow DB, which tracks information on about 5.4 million Japanese companies. The database pulls from official sources like business registries, tax records, and government reports, though these numbers might be different from what companies officially announce.

Sony Group came out on top with average yearly pay of about 11.13 million yen (roughly $75,000 USD). Close behind was Bandai Namco Holdings at around 10.95 million yen (about $75,000). These were the only two companies to break the 10-million-yen barrier.

Nintendo landed in third place with average salaries of about 9.63 million yen (around $65,000). Sega took fourth place, followed by mobile game maker Akatsuki in fifth. Companies ranked 4th through 8th generally paid around 8 million yen per year, while those in 9th to 14th place averaged about 7 million yen. Even the companies in the bottom spots (15th to 20th) still paid over 6 million yen annually.

While these salaries might seem low compared to what game developers earn in North America, they’re actually quite high by Japanese standards. GameBusiness.jp points out that the average Japanese worker across all industries made only about 4.26 million yen in 2024. This means game industry employees are earning significantly more than the typical Japanese worker.

The absence of Square Enix from the top 20 stands out, especially considering the company’s major franchises like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. The ranking shows how competitive the Japanese gaming industry has become when it comes to attracting and keeping talented employees.