How to say "higher-up" in Japanese

• 上役うわやくCommon
  nounCovers the core sense of 'higher-up': one's superior or boss, someone above you in rank at work. As a common word, it is the default choice for talking about the people above you.
  上役うわやくにやたらにぺこぺこするな。↗

  Don't be subservient to your boss.
• 上の人うえのひと
  expression, nounCovers the same sense — a superior, boss, or higher-up — literally 'the person above one.' Less common than 上役, it is simply a plain, descriptive way to refer to someone above you.

Both words mean a superior, boss, or higher-up above one at work, so the choice is mostly one of wording: 上役 is the common term, while 「上の人」 is a less common, more literal 'person above you' alternative.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 上役うわやくone's superior
• 上の人うえのひとsuperior