Presales Engineer Salary in Japan [NO ADS]
This is the highest-traffic blog on the Wahl+Case page.
That is why we are writing a guide to help you understand the salary landscape for Presales Engineers.
To get the most up-to-date information, I spoke with Marcel Oka and Shivangi Dharne, tech career consultants in Japan.
This is what they look like:
They broke it down into three bands:
Mid-Career Presales Engineer
Senior Presales Engineer
Director of Presales Engineer
Junior Presales?
You move into presales from a sales or a technical role, so there are no Junior Presales salary examples.
They also gave me information on resume and interview tips for each band.
If you want to learn about other client facing engineer positions, check out our full guide here!
Let’s get started.
Mid-Career Presales Engineer
Salary: ¥10M - ¥15M OTE
Salary Split: 80/20 or 70/30 (base/bonus)
Experience: Typically less than 10 years
Titles: “Presales Engineer” or “Sales Engineer”
Key Skills:
Must have strong Japanese language proficiency, particularly in written communication.
Candidates should be comfortable creating RFPs (Requests for Proposal) and POCs (Proof of Concepts) in Japanese.
While technical skills are essential, the ability to handle sales processes in Japanese, including negotiation and presentations, is often a deciding factor during the hiring process.
Typical Interview Process:
May not require a formal presentation, but candidates are often tested on technical knowledge and communication skills, especially around POCs and client-facing scenarios.
As a mid-career presales engineer in Japan, you can expect to earn between ¥10M and ¥15M OTE, with a salary split of 80/20 or 70/30 (base/bonus).
With less than 10 years of experience, your role will likely focus on handling technical documents like RFPs and POCs.
An RFP (Request for Proposal) is a document that an organization uses to outline its project requirements and seek proposals from potential vendors or suppliers. It defines the scope of the project, expected deliverables, and criteria for evaluating the proposals, allowing vendors to bid on the opportunity.
A POC (Proof of Concept) is a demonstration used to validate the feasibility of a solution or product in a real-world scenario. It’s often done before full implementation to test whether the proposed solution will meet the desired outcomes or technical requirements.
Proficiency in Japanese, especially written, is critical, as much of your work involves interacting with clients in Japanese.
At this stage, you’ll be part of a larger team, and you may not be required to give formal presentations during the interview process.
Senior Presales Engineer
Salary: ¥15M - ¥20M OTE
Salary Split: 80/20 (base/bonus)
Experience: 10+ years
Key Skills & Responsibilities:
In addition to the technical and language requirements, senior presales engineers are expected to manage more aggressive sales targets.
Responsibilities often expand to both presales and post-sales activities, including client meetings, product demonstrations, and networking at industry events.
Senior engineers are more proactive in generating leads and driving business, requiring a balance of technical acumen and salesmanship.
Interview Process:
Candidates at this level often participate in demos and presentations during the interview, showcasing their ability to communicate complex technical information to non-technical stakeholders.
Senior presales engineers may also be evaluated on their experience working with early-stage startups, particularly their ability to help grow the company’s brand and presence.
If you’re a senior presales engineer with more than 10 years of experience, your salary could range from ¥15M to ¥20M OTE, with an 80/20 split.
At this level, you’ll be responsible for handling more aggressive sales targets, managing both presales and post-sales activities, and taking a proactive role in generating leads.
Your role will include attending client meetings, giving demos, and networking at industry events.
During the interview process, you will likely need to demonstrate your ability to present demos and technical solutions, showcasing your experience with early-stage startups and your capacity to contribute to brand growth.
Director of Presales
Salary: ¥20M+ OTE
Salary Split: 80/20 (base/bonus)
Experience: 15+ years
Key Skills & Responsibilities:
Directors are responsible for leading the presales team, setting processes, and ensuring consistent performance across the board.
Management experience is a critical requirement, as directors must evaluate employees, report on team performance, and handle overall strategic direction.
Candidates at this level should be able to demonstrate experience in building and managing a presales organization from the ground up, particularly around creating processes and setting the strategy for client interactions.
Successful candidates will also highlight their ability to close deals, often providing specific examples of deal values and named clients in their CV.
Interview Process:
Expect a more rigorous interview process, including formal presentations, technical evaluations, and strategic discussions about how they’ve previously built and managed presales teams.
Experience with high-value clients and successful deal closures will be key talking points.
As a director of presales, with 15+ years of experience, you can expect to earn ¥20M+ OTE, with an 80/20 split.
You will be responsible for leading the presales team, setting the overall process, and managing employee performance evaluations.
At this level, you’ll need to demonstrate your ability to build and manage the presales function, providing examples of high-value deals you’ve closed and your role in growing client relationships.
Experience in leadership and strategic decision-making will be crucial, as will your ability to set up presales structures from scratch.
Key Takeaways
Language proficiency: For all levels, Japanese fluency is a must, both written and spoken, as much of the presales documentation and client interaction will be in Japanese.
Technical expertise: From mid-career to director level, candidates are expected to have a deep understanding of the tech stack and the ability to convey it effectively to clients.
Sales acumen: The role is heavily client-facing, so even at the mid-career level, candidates must demonstrate the ability to influence, persuade, and close deals.
Across all levels, your proficiency in Japanese and technical expertise are essential. As you progress in your career, your role will involve a balance of technical knowledge, sales acumen, and leadership, with an increasing focus on building relationships and closing high-value deals.
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