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Telephone receptionists

How to become a Call Centre Operator

Also called: Phone order clerk, Inbound telecommunicator, Customer service phone operator, Phone survey operator, Phone support clerk, Telesales staff, Telemarketer

Deals with customers, mainly by phone, at a call centre where customers' views come in directly.

Main tasks

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 education or qualifications are needed to start. Hiring is usually of experienced people through job advertisements. Many people also work through staffing agencies. After starting, you learn about the products and services and deepen your understanding through role plays. After guidance from a manager called a supervisor, you start handling customers on your own. Whatever the industry or work, the role is about building relationships with customers, so communication skills are needed. The Telecommunicator Certification, which teaches polite language, correct wording and calm, accurate phone handling, is useful. You use computers, so people comfortable with them are preferred.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Call Centre Operator?

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start. Hiring is usually of experienced people through job advertisements. Many people also work through staffing agencies. After starting, you learn about the products and services and deepen your understanding through role plays. After guidance from a manager called a supervisor, you start handling customers on your own. Whatever the industry or work, the role is about building relationships with customers, so communication skills are needed. The Telecommunicator Certification, which teaches polite language, correct wording and calm, accurate phone handling, is useful. You use computers, so people comfortable with them are preferred.

How much does a Call Centre Operator earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,070,200 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Telephone receptionists, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Call Centre Operator?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 28% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Junior college (短期大学) programme.

Will AI change the work of a Call Centre Operator?

Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, 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