How Much Do Breast Surgeons Earn in Japan? 2025 Physician Income Data
Breast surgeons in Japan reported a median annual income of ¥13 million (approximately £62,000) in the latest specialty-level physician income survey from the Physician Career Research Institute.
The 2025 survey, based on responses from 2,055 physicians overall, provides a specialty-specific benchmark for breast surgeons assessing their professional earnings in Japan.
Among the Breast Surgery respondents:
Median annual income: ¥13 million (approximately £62,000)
Proportion earning ¥20 million or more: 12.50%
¥20 million threshold: approximately £96,000
Breast Surgery respondents: 16
Importantly, the reported income includes earnings from a breast surgeon’s main workplace as well as additional or side work.
What is the median income for a breast surgeon in Japan?
The reported median annual income for breast surgeons was:
¥13 million (approximately £62,000)
This represents total annual professional income including side work, not simply salary from a surgeon’s primary hospital or employer.
A breast surgeon may hold a principal hospital appointment while also carrying out additional clinical sessions or other paid medical work.
The ¥13 million figure is therefore best interpreted as a benchmark for total annual professional earnings.
It should not be treated as an expected base salary.
12.50% of breast surgeons reported earning ¥20 million or more
The survey also found that:
12.50% of Breast Surgery respondents reported annual income of ¥20 million or more (approximately £96,000+).
That is one in eight of the breast surgeons included in this specialty sample.
For a breast surgeon assessing their own position, the two main benchmarks are:
Median annual income: ¥13 million (approximately £62,000)
Earning ¥20 million+ (approximately £96,000+): 12.50%
Why does side work matter for breast surgeon income?
Additional professional work can contribute materially to physician earnings in Japan.
Doctors may undertake work outside their main appointment, including clinical sessions at other hospitals or clinics.
The Physician Career Research Institute therefore reports annual income including side work.
For breast surgeons, salary from the primary employer may consequently be only one part of total professional earnings.
A surgeon earning less than ¥13 million from their principal role could still reach the survey benchmark when additional clinical income is included.
What does the ¥13 million median actually mean?
Survey respondents reported income using ranges rather than exact figures.
The reported ¥13 million (approximately £62,000) median is therefore based on the midpoint of the relevant income band.
It should be treated as an approximate benchmark rather than an exact statistical median derived from individual payroll records.
How strong is the Breast Surgery sample?
The wider research included 2,055 physicians, but only 16 respondents were in Breast Surgery.
That is a significant limitation.
The specialty only just exceeded the survey’s minimum threshold of 15 respondents for publication.
The finding is therefore useful as an indication of reported breast surgeon income, but it should not be treated as a definitive national estimate.
Actual earnings can vary with:
seniority;
career stage;
hospital or clinical setting;
working hours;
geography;
clinical workload;
additional professional activity; and
side work.
Is ¥13 million a breast surgeon salary?
No.
The clearest interpretation is:
¥13 million is the reported median total annual professional income for the breast surgeons surveyed, including side work.
It is not a published base salary.
For breast surgeons reviewing their own compensation, it is useful to distinguish between:
principal employer salary;
additional paid clinical activity;
other professional income; and
total annual earnings.
The survey benchmark relates most closely to total annual earnings.
What should breast surgeons take from the data?
For breast surgeons in Japan, the latest specialty data provides two useful reference points:
Median annual professional income: ¥13 million (approximately £62,000)
Proportion earning ¥20 million+ (approximately £96,000+): 12.50%
Because the sample is only 16 physicians, the figures should be used cautiously.
For an individual breast surgeon, the more useful question is:
“What is my total annual professional income as a breast surgeon, including additional clinical work, and how does it compare with the ¥13 million benchmark?”
Source: Physician Career Research Institute / Mediwel, 2025 Physician Income Survey.
Currency note: Sterling equivalents are approximate conversions using a JPY/GBP exchange rate of about £0.004797 per yen on 14 September 2026. GBP figures are included for reader context only and were not reported by the original Japanese survey.
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