“High school and college graduates get the same starting salary: 2.58 million won”... Major company with an 8-trillion-won market cap upends degree-based hiring

[Financial News] A major Japanese company has drawn attention after it emerged that it plans to eliminate the starting-salary gap between employees with high school and university degrees in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The decision reflects its view that, going forward, the ability to adapt to change will matter more than educational background for new hires.

According to The Nikkei on the 3rd, the headquarters of major company Misumi Group introduced a system this month to recruit high school and university graduates under the same framework. It has eliminated the “degree premium” previously given to university graduates, paying both groups the same starting salary of ¥303,000 per month (about 2,576,000 won) regardless of educational background and providing the same allowances, employee benefits and other terms.
It is quite rare in Japan for university and high school graduates to receive the same pay. According to figures compiled by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, last year university graduates among new hires earned an average monthly salary of ¥262,300 (about 2.23 million won), 26% more than the ¥207,300 (about 1.763 million won) paid to high school graduates.
The Nikkei described Misumi Group’s hiring policy as “prioritizing the ability to set tasks and adapt to change, rather than educational background, as AI becomes more widespread.” It also explained that “as the kind of talent companies seek changes, the employment advantage enjoyed by university graduates has begun to erode.”
Misumi Group Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Kato Tsukasa explained, “As AI has become capable of handling most of the document preparation and information gathering that young employees used to do, the work expected of them has also changed,” adding, “The willingness to keep taking on new challenges and the ability to identify tasks have nothing to do with educational background.”

Misumi Group manufactures and supplies equipment components and tools. It is a major company with a market capitalization of ¥1 trillion (about 8.5 trillion won) and more than 10,000 employees. The company is focusing on factory automation (FA)-related equipment and accelerating the development of services for new work processes enabled by AI. When hiring, it also primarily assesses candidates’ AI-related knowledge and ability to adapt to change.
Misumi Group used to give employees the same treatment for two years after they joined, regardless of performance. Going forward, it plans to evaluate them one year after they join and differentiate their pay.
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter