Economic Intelligence Agency (12th correspondent report) - Investment in artificial intelligence (AI) is driving increased demand for semiconductor equipment, causing average salaries at Japan's major semiconductor materials and components companies to rise significantly.
According to individual securities reports, the average annual salary for eight core Japanese semiconductor materials and components companies (DISCO, Tokyo Electron, Advantest, Screen Holdings, ROHM, Renesas Electronics, Tokyo Ohka Kogyo, and Shin-Etsu Semiconductor) reached 10.75 million yen for the fiscal year ending March 2026, a 25% increase compared to 2021. In contrast, the overall average annual salary for listed companies in Japan remained around the 6 million yen level during the same period, highlighting a significant gap.
Among them, the average annual salary at four equipment companies (DISCO, Tokyo Electron, Advantest, Screen Holdings) reached 13.59 million yen, higher than two semiconductor device companies (ROHM, Renesas Electronics, average 7.76 million yen) and two materials companies (Tokyo Ohka Kogyo, Shin-Etsu Semiconductor, average 8.07 million yen).
DISCO's headquarters' average annual salary surged 95% compared to five years ago, reaching 18.79 million yen. DISCO primarily manufactures cutting and grinding equipment (used for wafer dicing, thinning, and polishing), as well as through-silicon via (TSV) processing equipment for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) stacking. (rc)
According to individual securities reports, the average annual salary for eight core Japanese semiconductor materials and components companies (DISCO, Tokyo Electron, Advantest, Screen Holdings, ROHM, Renesas Electronics, Tokyo Ohka Kogyo, and Shin-Etsu Semiconductor) reached 10.75 million yen for the fiscal year ending March 2026, a 25% increase compared to 2021. In contrast, the overall average annual salary for listed companies in Japan remained around the 6 million yen level during the same period, highlighting a significant gap.
Among them, the average annual salary at four equipment companies (DISCO, Tokyo Electron, Advantest, Screen Holdings) reached 13.59 million yen, higher than two semiconductor device companies (ROHM, Renesas Electronics, average 7.76 million yen) and two materials companies (Tokyo Ohka Kogyo, Shin-Etsu Semiconductor, average 8.07 million yen).
DISCO's headquarters' average annual salary surged 95% compared to five years ago, reaching 18.79 million yen. DISCO primarily manufactures cutting and grinding equipment (used for wafer dicing, thinning, and polishing), as well as through-silicon via (TSV) processing equipment for high-bandwidth memory (HBM) stacking. (rc)
