Peernovo
Other general clerical workers

How to become an Animation Production Manager

Keeps animation production on schedule by assigning drawing work, tracking progress, liaising with each member of staff and managing the budget.

How to become one

No education or qualifications are required. It is usual to join an animation production company and be placed in the department that supports and manages the production process. Production management is mainly administrative, so drawing skills are often not required when hiring. You need to understand the whole animation production process to do the job, so learning the basics on an animation course at a senmon gakko (vocational college) or similar is an advantage. After joining, you usually learn the work on the job alongside senior colleagues. Production management is one way into animation work, and many people build experience and aim for roles with more say. Paths include moving through production desk (the person responsible for managing production of a whole title) to producer work, aiming to become a director of episodes, scriptwriter or series director, or moving into management and administration. By knowing the work on the ground well and building contacts, you can shape your career to suit your aims. The first quality needed is accurate schedule management. Many departments and staff work together on tight deadlines, so you need to see the whole picture and prepare early. For this you need communication skills to keep relationships smooth by respecting others' wishes and being considerate, and the ability to notice small details and anticipate what will happen. Administrative skills such as accurate document writing and expense management are also important, to make it easier for production staff to do their work. Animated works are intellectual property and information is tightly controlled, so you must also follow business rules such as confidentiality.

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

Related jobs

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become an Animation Production Manager?

No education or qualifications are required. It is usual to join an animation production company and be placed in the department that supports and manages the production process. Production management is mainly administrative, so drawing skills are often not required when hiring. You need to understand the whole animation production process to do the job, so learning the basics on an animation course at a senmon gakko (vocational college) or similar is an advantage. After joining, you usually learn the work on the job alongside senior colleagues. Production management is one way into animation work, and many people build experience and aim for roles with more say. Paths include moving through production desk (the person responsible for managing production of a whole title) to producer work, aiming to become a director of episodes, scriptwriter or series director, or moving into management and administration. By knowing the work on the ground well and building contacts, you can shape your career to suit your aims. The first quality needed is accurate schedule management. Many departments and staff work together on tight deadlines, so you need to see the whole picture and prepare early. For this you need communication skills to keep relationships smooth by respecting others' wishes and being considerate, and the ability to notice small details and anticipate what will happen. Administrative skills such as accurate document writing and expense management are also important, to make it easier for production staff to do their work. Animated works are intellectual property and information is tightly controlled, so you must also follow business rules such as confidentiality.

How much does an Animation Production Manager earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,286,700 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other general clerical workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an Animation Production Manager?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 55% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of an Animation Production Manager?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026