Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has published salary of working people for year 2016. This is data based on people working full time. Part time, temp, etc. were excluded from this survey.

Average monthly salary for 2016 was 304,000 yen (US$ 2,709 or € 2 563). Average monthly salary for male was 335,200 yen (US$ 2,989 or € 2 826), and average monthly salary for female was 244,600 yen (US$ 2,181 or € 2 063).

Average monthly salaries based on occupations were:

1. Airline pilot: 1,493,300 yen (US$ 13,314 or € 12 592)
2. Medical doctor: 858,900 yen (US$ 7,657 or € 7 242)
3. Dentist: 676,400 yen (US$ 6,030 or € 5 702)
4. University professor: 676,400 yen (US$ 6,030 or € 5 702)
5. University associate professor: 528,600 yen (US$ 4,713 or € 4 457)
6. Lawyer: 489,100 yen (US$ 4,360 or € 4 124)
7. Drilling and explosive specialist: 472,400 yen (US$ 4,211 or € 3 983)
8. Accountant: 465,700 yen (US$ 4,152 or € 3 927)
9. University lecturer: 448,000 yen (US$ 3,995 or € 3 778)
10. Flight attendant: 434,500 yen (US$ 3,875 or € 3 664)

After my graduate school I entertained about academic career. In the U.S. chemist in industry get paid far more than chemist in academia. Looks like it pays to be a professor in Japan.

Also, #10 is flight attendant, really?! Those ladies on ANA and JAL flights are getting paid that much…

Also, pilots earning more than doctors were interesting. However, I heard senior airline pilots in the U.S. for legacy carriers under old pay scale (not today's pay scale) can easily earn US$ 120,000 - 150,000/year.

In Japan it is common to talk salary based on monthly pay, not annual pay.