[Sangetsu]

Most ALT and conversational schools in Japan pay about 250k yen per month (about $2500 USD) to start. Public schools will pay about 350k yen for certified teachers who are reasonably skilled in Japanese (this varies according to qualifications), and universities pay upwards of 400k yen per month, though a minimum of a masters degree is generally required.

Even the minimum pay of 250k is not bad when you consider the usual workweek is less than 30 hours, and that the cost of living in most of Japan is actually quite low. On the other hand, 250k will not go very far in Tokyo or Osaka.