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Job seekers: Explore opportunities and grow your career with us. Salaries for many business transformation and IT leadership roles have remained stable, though vendor and consulting positions have declined since 2023 with restructuring and post-pandemic market stabilization. Sales, Technical Consultants, and Architects remain stable, while roles like Customer Success Managers and Pre-Sales have experienced slight decreases. Contract roles remain steady, reflecting strong demand for niche expertise. The industry is highly competitive. Candidates rarely accept pay cuts and often have multiple offers, giving them time to evaluate opportunities. Sign-on bonuses and remote work flexibility are effective tools to attract scarce, highly qualified professionals. For senior roles, long-term incentives such as stock options or bonuses are key. Work-life balance, visible impact, and international exposure are highly valued. Dealbreakers include lower base salaries, rigid five-day office policies, poor work-life balance, weak employer branding, and low company performance. Native Japanese professionals fluent in English remain in high demand, particularly for project management, client-facing, and leadership roles. Soft skills like communication, and the ability to influence change are critical differentiators. Agile hiring processes and direct engagement with candidates often secure top talent, while slow or rigid processes risk losing them.  Hiring managers: Get customized salary data and insights from a Robert Half talent solutions professional.

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Starting salaries can vary greatly depending on a professional’s skills and experience, company size and demand for the role. Our salaries do not include bonuses, benefits or perks.
Internal It & Business Transformation
Position title 25th percentile 50th percentile 75th percentile Application Manager​ 8500000 10500000 12500000 Business Analyst​ 6500000 8500000 10500000 Business Relationship Manager 10500000 13500000 16500000 Architect (Applications, Solutions, Systems, Infrastructure, Enterprise) 10500000 14000000 18000000 Internal IT Manager​ 10500000 12500000 14500000 IT Audit Specialist ​ 6000000 8000000 10500000 IT Risk Specialist ​ 6000000 8000000 10500000 IT Director 16000000 22000000 26000000 Chief Information Officer (IT) 16000000 22000000 26000000 Chief Technology Officer (IT) 16000000 22000000 26000000 IT Governance Specialist​ 7500000 9500000 11500000 Network & Server Engineer ​ 6500000 8500000 10500000 PMO​ 6500000 7500000 8500000 Program Manager 12500000 14500000 16500000 Program Director​ 13500000 15500000 17500000 Project Manager​ (Business Transformation) 10500000 12500000 14500000 Senior Project Manager​ 12000000 15000000 18000000 Service Delivery Manager​ 10500000 12500000 14500000 Technical Lead 9500000 11500000 13500000
25th percentile
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
50th percentile
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
75th percentile
The candidate has extensive experience and advanced skills for the role, and may also have specialized certifications.

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Top priorities and in-demand skills in business transformation and IT leadership

In Japan, fewer than half of companies have adopted or even planned for generative AI, and many SMEs remain unsure where to start.* As organizations modernize, they’re prioritizing stronger security, smoother collaboration, and readiness for AI-driven change, fueling demand for leaders who can align stakeholders and bridge business and technical teams. Exploring AI pilots to optimize functions Strengthening cybersecurity early in processes Driving digital transformation in manufacturing High-level stakeholder management Bilingual (business-level Japanese) Being the bridge between the technical and sales teams System integration, implementation

Hiring challenges and retention strategies for business transformation and IT leadership

85% of Japanese companies reported a shortage of DX talent, with most saying they are “somewhat” or “significantly” lacking.* On top of this, hiring teams are grappling with rising salary expectations, a limited pool of bilingual candidates, and lengthy hiring cycles. To retain the talent they secure, organizations are increasingly focused on clearer promotion pathways, pay transparency, meaningful growth opportunities, and expanding responsibilities. Limited talent with a combination of highly specialized expertise Salary expectations exceeding budgets for niche skills Language hurdle (native-level Japanese and fluent English) Faster hiring processes Clear salary and promotion guidelines Career growth roadmap Opportunities to work abroad within the organization
As competition for high-skilled talent intensifies, Japanese firms are raising wages to secure top talent. Most companies have raised or plan to raise wages. For candidates, this means strong bargaining power; for hiring managers, it demands agile and competitive compensation strategies. of Japanese companies raised or plan to raise wages amid talent and inflation pressures.** of Japanese companies raised or plan to raise wages amid talent and inflation pressures.**

of companies say they expect to achieve the same level of wage increases in 2026 as in 2025. *** of companies say they expect to achieve the same level of wage increases in 2026 as in 2025. ***

In-demand roles, certifications and top industries hiring

Japan’s business transformation is accelerating as companies race to modernize systems and address labor shortages. Organizations are investing in AI, process optimization, and leadership capable of driving change.  Bilingual professionals with both technical and business acumen are in short supply, making HR strategy crucial to attracting and retaining transformation talent.  Key permanent roles in business transformation driving Japan’s hiring market:  Business Analyst  Project Manager  Program Director Architect (Applications, Solutions, Systems, Infrastructure, Enterprise) Business Relationship Manager Key contract roles in business transformation driving Japan’s hiring market:  Project Manager  IT Consultant PMO Business Analyst
In Japan’s business-transformation and IT-leadership talent market, certifications are no longer optional, they’re table stakes.  As firms ramp up initiatives around DX, ERP/CRM integration and business-IT alignment, candidates who hold the following credentials, especially when combined with bilingual business Japanese and stakeholder-management experience, are positioned to lead the charge and stand out in this competitive talent landscape. Top certifications for business transformation professionals in Japan (Full time staff): Cloud certification (AWS / GCP / Azure) Project management (PMP, Agile, Scrum) Enterprise architecture (TOGAF) Process improvement (Six Sigma) ERP/CRM (SAP, Salesforce etc.)     Top certifications for business transformation professionals in Japan (Contract basis): Project management: PMP, PRINCE2 etc. Methodologies & tracking tools: Agile, Waterfall, JIRA, Confluence, etc.
In 2026, Japan’s transformation is driven by sectors embracing innovation and efficiency. Financial services and fintech are advancing automation and data governance, while healthcare and MedTech modernize systems for better outcomes.   Consulting and tech firms lead large-scale change programs, and retail, manufacturing, and logistics invest in AI and process optimization to boost productivity and sustainability. Together, these industries are shaping a more agile, future-ready Japan.   Industries driving Japan’s business transformation hiring in 2026:   Financial services, finTech   Pharmaceutical, Medtech, healthcare, medical devices   Consulting firms, technology vendors   Retail, manufacturing   Logistics   

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Career and hiring insights in business transformation

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The salary benchmarks listed in Robert Half's Salary Guide are the result of a rigorous, multistep process to ensure our projections accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across in Japan.   The salaries listed in the salary tables represent starting compensation only, meaning pay for someone new to a company in the position listed. Company size, industry and the availability of remote work options can influence salaries. Our salaries do not include bonuses, benefits or perks. We report salaries in percentiles and ranges, recognizing that professionals join companies at varied experience levels.  Non-salary data referenced in this Salary Guide is based on third-party research and all external data sources are explicitly cited throughout. Sources: *Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA). (2025). DX Trends 2025. **Jiji Press News. (2025). Record 91.5 pct of Japan firms raise wages in 2025. ***Reuters. (2025). November Reuters Corporate Survey: 72% of companies expect 2026 spring wage increases to match 2025 levels; share expecting lower increases declines from last year.
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