How Much Do Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Physicians Earn in Japan? 2025 Physician Income Data
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physicians in Japan reported a median annual income of ¥15 million (approximately £72,000) 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 useful benchmark for physicians working in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation who are assessing their professional earnings in Japan.
Among the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation respondents:
Median annual income: ¥15 million (approximately £72,000)
Proportion earning ¥20 million or more: 14.29%
¥20 million threshold: approximately £96,000
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation respondents: 28
Importantly, these figures include income from a physician’s main workplace as well as additional or side work.
For Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physicians looking at their own compensation, that distinction is essential.
What is the median income for a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physician in Japan?
The reported median annual income was:
¥15 million (approximately £72,000)
This represents total annual professional income including side work, rather than simply the salary paid by a physician’s principal hospital, rehabilitation facility, clinic or other employer.
Physicians in Japan may receive income from more than one professional role.
A rehabilitation physician may hold a primary position while also undertaking additional clinical sessions or other paid medical work.
The ¥15 million figure is therefore best understood as a benchmark for total annual professional earnings.
It should not be interpreted as an expected base salary.
14.29% reported earning ¥20 million or more
The survey provides another useful benchmark for Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physicians.
14.29% of respondents reported annual income of ¥20 million or more (approximately £96,000+).
That means roughly one in seven physicians in this specialty sample reported total annual professional earnings at or above this level.
The two central benchmarks are therefore:
Median annual income: ¥15 million (approximately £72,000)
Earning ¥20 million+ (approximately £96,000+): 14.29%
Why does side work matter?
Additional professional work can form an important part of physician earnings in Japan.
Doctors may undertake paid activity outside their main appointment, including sessions at other hospitals, clinics or rehabilitation settings.
The Physician Career Research Institute therefore reports annual income including side work.
For Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physicians, this means that salary from the principal employer may not represent total annual earnings.
A physician whose main salary is below ¥15 million could still reach or exceed the survey benchmark once additional professional income is included.
Equally, the figure should not be interpreted as a ¥15 million basic salary from a single employer.
What does the ¥15 million median actually mean?
Survey participants reported income in ranges rather than providing exact annual amounts.
The reported median of ¥15 million (approximately £72,000) therefore represents the midpoint of the relevant income band.
It should be treated as an approximate compensation benchmark rather than a precise mathematical median calculated from exact payroll data.
How strong is the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation sample?
The wider survey included 2,055 physicians, with 28 respondents in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
That is a relatively small specialty sample.
The research only published specialty-level findings where at least 15 physicians responded, so the specialty met the publication threshold, but the result should still be interpreted with appropriate caution.
Actual earnings may vary depending on:
career stage;
seniority;
employer;
hospital or rehabilitation setting;
working hours;
geographic location;
additional clinical commitments; and
the amount of side work undertaken.
Is ¥15 million a base salary?
No.
The clearest interpretation is:
¥15 million is the reported median total annual professional income for the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physicians surveyed, including side work.
It is not a published base salary.
For a physician assessing their compensation, it is useful to distinguish between:
guaranteed income from the principal employer;
additional paid clinical sessions;
other professional income; and
total annual earnings.
The survey benchmark relates most closely to that final figure.
What should Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physicians take from the data?
For physicians working in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation in Japan, the 2025 survey provides two useful benchmarks.
Median annual professional income, including side work, was:
¥15 million (approximately £72,000)
And:
14.29% reported earning ¥20 million or more (approximately £96,000+).
The key is to compare like with like.
For an individual physician, the most useful question is:
“What is my total annual professional income as a Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation physician, including additional clinical work, and how does it compare with the ¥15 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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