FIELD MANUAL Skilled trades in Japan / 2026
Your license, your skills, your site.
Construction management, architectural design, electrical and fire equipment, plant maintenance and automotive repair. For five skilled trades that are short of people in Japan, we’ve put together what the work involves, how to get licensed, and job openings ratios and wages from official statistics.
Job openings ratio for architecture, civil engineering & surveying engineers
5.58
Source: 一般職業紹介状況・雇用関係指標（年度）2025年度 — Employment Referrals for General Workers, FY2025 (MHLW). Regular employment incl. part-time.
01 INDEX / TRADES
Five skilled trades,
spec sheets.
The openings ratio and estimated pay are for the category in MHLW statistics closest to each occupation (the category is named on each card). Open a card for the work, how to get licensed, working conditions and what to check on a visit.
Construction Manager
Schedule, quality, safety, cost. The person who keeps the site running.
- RATIOOpenings ratio
- 5.585.1× all jobsArchitecture, civil engineering & surveying engineers／FY2025
- WAGEEst. annual pay
- ¥6.79MArchitectural engineers／avg. age 43.4
- LICENSEKey licenses
- 2nd-class Construction Management Engineer（2級施工管理技士）1st-class Construction Management Engineer（1級施工管理技士）Assistant Engineer（技士補）
- ENTRYGetting in
- Assistant work (paperwork, photo records, survey assistance) needs no license. Since FY2024, anyone aged 17+ can take the 2nd-class first exam, and anyone aged 19+ can take the 1st-class first exam, regardless of education or work experience.
Architectural Designer / Architect
One line decides the building. The person responsible for the drawings.
- RATIOOpenings ratio
- 5.585.1× all jobsArchitecture, civil engineering & surveying engineers (incl. construction management)／FY2025
- WAGEEst. annual pay
- ¥6.79MArchitectural engineers (incl. construction management)／avg. age 43.4
- LICENSEKey licenses
- 2nd-class Architect（二級建築士）1st-class Architect（一級建築士）Wooden-structure Architect（木造建築士）
- ENTRYGetting in
- If you graduate from a university, junior college, college of technology, vocational school or similar after completing the designated courses, you can take the 1st-class Architect exam with no work experience (after the amendment in force March 1, 2020). The practical experience only has to be completed by the time you register the license.
Electrical Work, Electrical Safety & Fire Equipment Inspection
Work you can’t touch without a license. That’s why the license is your edge.
- RATIOOpenings ratio
- 3.373.1× all jobsElectrical construction workers／FY2025
- WAGEEst. annual pay
- ¥6.28MElectrical construction workers／avg. age 41.6
- LICENSEKey licenses
- Class 2 Electrician（第二種電気工事士）Class 1 Electrician（第一種電気工事士）3rd-class Chief Electrical Engineer（電験三種）Fire Protection Equipment Technician（消防設備士）
- ENTRYGetting in
- The Class 2 Electrician exam has no eligibility restrictions. It has two stages, written and practical; FY2025 pass rates were 56.6% (written) and 71.8% (practical). You can start with assistant work such as carrying materials without a license (check the boundary at each site).
Plant Maintenance Technician
Keep the line running. If it stops, bring it back fast.
- RATIOOpenings ratio
- 4.043.7× all jobsMachinery maintenance & repair workers (incl. automotive repair)／FY2025
- WAGEEst. annual pay
- ¥5.71MGeneral-purpose, production & business machinery and electrical machinery maintenance & repair workers／avg. age 42.7
- LICENSEKey licenses
- Certified Machine Maintenance Technician（機械保全技能士）3rd-class Chief Electrical Engineer（電験三種）Electrician（電気工事士）
- ENTRYGetting in
- No license is required for the maintenance work itself. Public vocational training (Polytech Centers, etc.) offers electrical and mechanical maintenance courses (check availability in your area). The National Trade Skills Test（技能検定）in machine maintenance starts at Grade 3.
Automotive Mechanic
Shaken, EVs, electronic controls. The car’s family doctor.
- RATIOOpenings ratio
- 4.043.7× all jobsMachinery maintenance & repair workers (incl. plant maintenance, etc.)／FY2025
- WAGEEst. annual pay
- ¥5.04MAutomotive maintenance & repair workers／avg. age 40.6
- LICENSEKey licenses
- 3rd-class Automotive Mechanic（三級自動車整備士）2nd-class Automotive Mechanic（二級自動車整備士）1st-class Small Vehicle Mechanic（一級小型自動車整備士）
- ENTRYGetting in
- Assistant work, car washing and tire changes can be done without a license. You can build practical experience and go 3rd class → 2nd class, or complete a 2nd-class course at an automotive vocational school (Type 1 training institution（一種養成施設）).
Sources: 一般職業紹介状況（職業安定業務統計）・雇用関係指標（年度）2025年度 — Employment Referrals for General Workers, FY2025 (MHLW, published 2026) / 令和7年賃金構造基本統計調査 — 2025 Basic Survey on Wage Structure (MHLW, published Mar 2026). Estimated annual pay = scheduled monthly cash earnings × 12 + annual bonus (an estimate). “× all jobs” is the ratio to the all-occupations figure of 1.10.
02 DEMAND
Skilled trades
are short of people.
By Hello Work’s job openings ratio, construction engineers are above 5, and machinery maintenance and electrical work are between 3 and 4. Compared with 1.10 for all occupations, openings per job seeker remain clearly higher.
- 36.7%Share of construction workers aged 55 or older (2024)Source: 改正建設業法 説明会資料 — briefing materials on the amended Construction Business Act (MLIT, Jan 2026; based on the Labour Force Survey)
- 47.7Average age of automotive maintenance staff (end of June 2025)Source: 自動車特定整備業実態調査 — survey of certified automotive maintenance businesses (JASPA, Jan 2026)
- Architecture, civil engineering & surveying engineersConstruction management, architectural design
- Machinery maintenance & repair workersPlant maintenance, automotive repair
- Electrical construction workersElectrical work, electrical safety, fire equipment
- All occupationsAll jobs
Source: 一般職業紹介状況（職業安定業務統計）・雇用関係指標（年度）2025年度 — Employment Referrals for General Workers, FY2025 (MHLW, published 2026). Figures are for mid-level occupational categories, not for construction management, plant maintenance or other single occupations. The ratio is the number of job openings per job seeker, counting only openings and job seekers registered with Hello Work (public employment offices).
03 FIELD CHECK
What the job ad doesn’t say,
the site will show you.
Actual overtime, who will teach you, whether they’ll help you get licensed. The things that matter most when choosing a skilled-trades workplace are often the hardest to read from a job ad. With Cura, you can visit a workplace or work a one-day trial before you apply.
- 01
Apply for a visit
No résumé or interview needed. It’s free for job seekers, and there are no sales calls.
- 02
Try a day of work
One-day trials are paid. You can’t do work that requires a license, so you’ll experience the site by accompanying and assisting.
- 03
Join if it fits
Whether to move on to hiring is decided when both sides are happy with it. You’re never obliged to be hired.
CHECKLIST
What to ask on a visit, for all five trades
- Actual overtime and the Article 36 agreement（36協定）Monthly overtime actually worked, and whether there is a special clause. Construction has been subject to the overtime cap since April 1, 2024.
- Support for getting licensedWho pays exam and course fees, allowances after you pass, schedule adjustments before exams.
- Who will teach youYour trainer after assignment and the OJT plan. 62.8% of manufacturing establishments say they have “a shortage of people to teach” (2026 White Paper on Manufacturing, MHLW).
- What you’ll be responsible forNumber of sites, types of work and equipment, area covered. It changes the experience you gain.
- Call-outs and days offHow often there are emergency jobs, night work and holiday work. Asking the people on site directly is the reliable way.
Each trade’s page has its own list of questions.
04 FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can I get into a skilled trade with no experience?
Yes, there are ways in. Many people start with work that needs no license, such as assisting a construction manager, CAD assistance in design, carrying materials in electrical work, or washing cars and changing tires at a garage, and get licensed while working. Since FY2024, anyone aged 19 or older can take the 1st-class first exam for Construction Management Engineer（施工管理技士）regardless of education or experience, and the Class 2 Electrician（第二種電気工事士）exam has no eligibility restrictions.
What is the “job openings ratio” on this site?
It is the ratio of active job openings to applicants from MHLW’s “Employment Referrals for General Workers”（一般職業紹介状況）(through Hello Work, regular employment incl. part-time, FY2025). It shows how many openings there are per job seeker. These are mid-level occupational categories, so they are not figures for “construction management only” or “plant maintenance only.” Each page names the matching category.
Is the “estimated annual pay” what people actually earn?
It is an estimate calculated from MHLW’s 2025 Basic Survey on Wage Structure（令和7年賃金構造基本統計調査）as scheduled monthly earnings (including overtime pay) × 12 months + annual bonus. It is not a published annual income figure. It covers regular employees at establishments of enterprises with 10 or more employees and varies a lot by company size, region and age.
Can I do work that requires a license during a visit or trial day?
No. People without the license cannot do work that requires an Electrician, Fire Protection Equipment Technician or similar license. On a trial day, you’ll experience the site within the scope that needs no license, such as observing, accompanying and assisting. If you do hold a license, it is checked with documents.
Does it cost anything to use Cura?
It’s free for job seekers. You can apply for workplace visits and trial days without a résumé or interview. Trial days are paid.
If I do a visit or trial day, do I have to join that workplace?
No. Whether to move on to hiring after a visit or trial day is decided when both sides are happy with it. You’re never obliged to be hired. Cura won’t make sales calls to you either.
NEXT ACTION
First, go see the site.
Cura covers 41 occupations, including skilled trades. Find a workplace near you, starting with a visit or a trial day.
The Cura app is in Japanese.（クーラのアプリ／サイトは日本語です）