Animators Are Underpaid, Again

The Nippon Anime & Film Culture Association, an organization founded to educate people about working conditions in the anime industry, recently conducted a survey targeting anime industry workers from December 4, 2023, to January 31, 2024, and received 323 responses. One of the most relevant data was the over-time spent by animators.

First of all, in terms of the average monthly working hours of workers in the anime industry, it was found to be 219 hours, with an average of 225 hours and a maximum of 336 hours per month. This paints a picture of long working hours in the industry, as the national average in Japan is around 162 hours. Anime workers work almost 40% longer!

In terms of hourly rates, 14% of respondents indicated that their hourly rate was equivalent to between 600 and 800 yen, with an overall average of 1111 yen. If we take the average salary and multiply it by the average working hours, we can see that income averages 249,000 yen per month. This is less than the national average of 310,000 yen! Despite working many more hours than average, anime workers earn less than average.

An interesting point to note is that the gap between men and women in terms of working hours and income is smaller than in society at large. From the perspective of equal employment opportunities for men and women, this suggests that the anime industry is based on merit.

When comparing employees (including contract employees) and freelancers (freelancers), it was found that employees have longer working hours, but freelancers have a significantly higher upper limit of income. However, one concerning aspect is that the transmission of industry knowledge in the workplace declines after the age of 30, suggesting a potential lack of professional development and ongoing training in the industry.

This survey aims to confirm the extent to which the image of the anime industry, such as "low income and long working hours", corresponds to reality, and to understand the current situation in order to use this information in future policy recommendations, among other purposes. It is evident that long working hours in the anime industry are a major concern that needs to be addressed to ensure the well-being and sustainability of workers in the sector.

Source: Manga Mogura