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Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere

How to become an Announcer

Also called: Television Announcer

Delivers information and hosts television and radio programmes.

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular qualifications or level of education are needed to start, but most announcers are university graduates. People who want to join a broadcaster as an announcer often train at an announcer school before sitting the recruitment exam. After joining a broadcaster, you learn correct Japanese voice production, pronunciation, pitch accent and polite language, as well as how to read the news, report, host and narrate. You start with announcements such as notices and gradually take on more advanced work. Some are given important work within one or two years of joining. Later, some become managers and join the management team, while others work as announcers until retirement and keep working on air after that. Some become well known as announcers and go freelance. This is a job that uses your voice, so you must pronounce Japanese correctly. Hours are often irregular, so looking after your health is important. You also work with many staff and technical crew, so you need to cooperate well.

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Announcer?

No particular qualifications or level of education are needed to start, but most announcers are university graduates. People who want to join a broadcaster as an announcer often train at an announcer school before sitting the recruitment exam. After joining a broadcaster, you learn correct Japanese voice production, pronunciation, pitch accent and polite language, as well as how to read the news, report, host and narrate. You start with announcements such as notices and gradually take on more advanced work. Some are given important work within one or two years of joining. Later, some become managers and join the management team, while others work as announcers until retirement and keep working on air after that. Some become well known as announcers and go freelance. This is a job that uses your voice, so you must pronounce Japanese correctly. Hours are often irregular, so looking after your health is important. You also work with many staff and technical crew, so you need to cooperate well.

How much does an Announcer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,833,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an Announcer?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 67% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of an Announcer?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, 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