How Much Do Experienced Mangaka Like Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto Earn? The Figures Will Make Artists Leave Hollywood for Japan

The greater the popularity, the greater the possibility of a manga to reach its pinnacle. With cult popular series like One Piece, one can only wonder about the earnings. The series’ record-breaking performance made Eiichiro Oda one of the richest mangaka. As of 2024, One Piece has collaborated with several brands and celebrities. However, there’s more to it than meets the eye.

While Oda is one of the richest manga artists, Masashi Kishimoto isn’t far behind. With both being veteran manga artists, their series are cult popular. What’s even more baffling is the earnings that most manga artists make. The revelations are sure to surprise most readers and viewers. Let’s dive into it.

Eiichiro Oda and his estimated earnings as a mangaka

Eiichiro Oda is one of the celebrated manga artists whose career spans over three decades. He started his career as a manga artist in 1992 where he received Tezuka Award for Wanted! While he is popular for One Piece, the mangaka has written several one-shot stories. Though, there’s more to it.

In 2023, the series broke the Guinness World Record through its sales. Along with royalties and collaborations, Oda’s estimated net worth is around $230m. This is not it as the franchise continues to boom in most aspects. With live-action adaptations and cultural hotspots, the series is soaring heights. On top of that, the brand collaborations add to the royalties as well.

Despite the earnings, Oda has competitors as well. This includes his fellow mangaka, Masashi Kishimoto. While both manga artists have penned the iconic Shonen series, there’s a huge gap in their earnings. It is surprising considering both series are among the big three of Shonen.

Masashi Kishimoto isn’t too far behind with his net worth

Two decades ago Masashi Kishimoto gave us one of the iconic ninja stories of all time. His series Naruto stands as one of the epic shonen manga among the big three. Be it merchandise or brand collaborations, Kishimoto is among the top ten richest manga artists. His franchise is estimated to be around $10bn considering video game merchandise, etc. But there’s a catch.

Despite creating a $10bn franchise, Kishimoto’s estimated net worth is just $27 million. While it seems bizarre, there’s a reason for it. Several fans have speculated Shonen jump to acquire the rights to the manga. This further outlines the issue of pay cuts. However, this doesn’t negate the future of upcoming artists.

For fresher manga artists success isn’t a far-fetched dream

Despite their popularity, both Oda and Kishimoto are subject to dethronement. This is true with upcoming manga artists including Gege Akutami. As a fresher manga artist, their estimated net worth is $12 million. On top of that, the franchise dethroned One Piece as the most popular animated show in 2023.

The earnings for fresher manga artists are even more surprising in a good way. Deb Aoki shared this information on her X account. The details were revealed during the Yen Press panel at the NYCC.

— Deb Aoki (@debaoki) October 21, 2024

The newcomer salary for upcoming mangaka seems more than promising. Interestingly, this information is crucial for artists to get a better understanding of the industry.

All in all, a mangaka’s journey to success is far-fetched from idealism. Despite the earnings, it takes backbreaking efforts to ensure a breakthrough. The tides are changing for the better nonetheless. Especially when it comes to young and aspiring mangaka.

One Piece, Naruto, and Jujutsu Kaisen are available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Viz Media.