How to say "salary" in Japanese

• 給料きゅうりょうJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe everyday word for the pay you receive from your job — monthly salary or wages alike; the default choice when talking about how much you earn.
  彼かれの給料きゅうりょうでは裕福ゆうふくになれないだろう。↗

  He won't get fat on his salary.
• 手当てあてJLPT N1approx.Common
  noun, suru verbSeldom the word for a salary as a whole: it really refers to allowances and extra payments on top of base pay — such as a housing allowance — or to compensation.
  会社かいしゃは通常つうじょうの月給げっきゅうの他ほかに諸手当しょてあてで毎月まいつき１０万いちれいまん円えん払はらってくれる。↗

  The company pays me 100,000 yen in various allowances a month in addition to the regular salary.
• 給与きゅうよJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounCovers an employee's pay as a whole, salary and wages together, and is the word you typically see in official contexts such as payroll and employment paperwork.
  私は給与きゅうよの５分ぶんの１を税金ぜいきんで取とられてしまう。↗

  One-fifth of my wages go to taxes.
• ペイCommon
  nounA loanword of English 'pay'; for talking about the salary from your job it is seldom the natural choice — 給料 is the everyday word, and サラリー the loanword for 'salary' itself.
• サラリーCommon
  nounThe direct loanword for 'salary', matching the regular pay of a company employee; perfectly understandable, but 給料 is the usual everyday word.
  彼かれはサラリーだけによって仕事しごとを選えらびます。↗

  He chooses his job only in term of salary.

For the pay from your job, 給料 is the everyday word and 給与 the official one, 「サラリー」 is the loanword for salary, while 手当 and 「ペイ」 are marginal choices for 'salary' itself.

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

• 給料きゅうりょうsalary
• 手当てあてsalary
• 給与きゅうよpay
• ペイpay
• サラリーsalary
• 俸給ほうきゅうsalary (esp. public employees)
• 扶持ふちsalary (paid in rice to a samurai)
• 俸ほうsalary
• サラsalary
• 俸禄ほうろくretainer's stipend
• 働きはたらきsalary
• 待遇たいぐうworking conditions
• 石高こくだかstipend (orig. assessed on the basis of a crop)