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Other domestic support service workers

How to become a Babysitter

Also called: Child minder, Infant sitter

Visits private homes and other places to look after and care for children.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say junior college 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 education or qualification is required to start. Many people join after graduating from a senmon gakko (vocational college) or similar with a childcare worker qualification, and many have worked at childcare centres or kindergartens or have raised children themselves. A kindergarten teaching licence, a childcare worker qualification, a nursing licence or the private 'certified babysitter' qualification is an advantage in the job. Some companies run training before you start on manners and the right attitude for the work. The most important thing for a babysitter is building trust with parents. Liking children also matters, and you need a certain amount of energy because you play with children. Other key requirements are the ability to understand exactly what to watch out for in a child's health and constitution, attentiveness, and the ability to communicate smoothly with children and parents. Knowledge of nutrition, hygiene and safety is also important.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Babysitter?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Many people join after graduating from a senmon gakko (vocational college) or similar with a childcare worker qualification, and many have worked at childcare centres or kindergartens or have raised children themselves. A kindergarten teaching licence, a childcare worker qualification, a nursing licence or the private 'certified babysitter' qualification is an advantage in the job. Some companies run training before you start on manners and the right attitude for the work. The most important thing for a babysitter is building trust with parents. Liking children also matters, and you need a certain amount of energy because you play with children. Other key requirements are the ability to understand exactly what to watch out for in a child's health and constitution, attentiveness, and the ability to communicate smoothly with children and parents. Knowledge of nutrition, hygiene and safety is also important.

How much does a Babysitter earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,026,700 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other service workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Babysitter?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 15% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Junior college (短期大学) programme.

Will AI change the work of a Babysitter?

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