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How to become a Care Manager

Assesses the situation of people who need care and plans services so they receive care that meets their needs.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say vocational college (senmon gakko), high school, or 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

You qualify by passing the exam for entry to care manager practical training, completing the practical training and registering on your prefecture's list of care managers. To sit the exam you need set qualifications or work experience: for example, a specified national licence in welfare, health or medicine plus at least five years and 900 days of work helping people, or at least five years and 900 days of advice and support work at certain welfare facilities, care facilities or disability support services. Once registered, you work at a home care support office (an agency that writes care plans) designated under long-term care insurance, or at a long-term care insurance facility. Many care managers have previously worked in care or advice and support, for example as certified care workers or certified social workers, or are registered nurses. You need broad knowledge of welfare and medicine and an understanding of the many welfare and medical schemes, starting with long-term care insurance. As a specialist in supporting people and those who care for them, you must think from the point of view of the older people and families receiving care, respect clients' privacy, keep information confidential and hold high ethical standards. The care manager qualification must be renewed every five years by completing the required training and applying. There is also a senior role, the chief care manager. Chief care managers oversee, guide and train care managers and take on cases that need experience. To become one you need at least five years' experience as a care manager and must complete chief care manager training.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Care Manager?

You qualify by passing the exam for entry to care manager practical training, completing the practical training and registering on your prefecture's list of care managers. To sit the exam you need set qualifications or work experience: for example, a specified national licence in welfare, health or medicine plus at least five years and 900 days of work helping people, or at least five years and 900 days of advice and support work at certain welfare facilities, care facilities or disability support services. Once registered, you work at a home care support office (an agency that writes care plans) designated under long-term care insurance, or at a long-term care insurance facility. Many care managers have previously worked in care or advice and support, for example as certified care workers or certified social workers, or are registered nurses. You need broad knowledge of welfare and medicine and an understanding of the many welfare and medical schemes, starting with long-term care insurance. As a specialist in supporting people and those who care for them, you must think from the point of view of the older people and families receiving care, respect clients' privacy, keep information confidential and hold high ethical standards. The care manager qualification must be renewed every five years by completing the required training and applying. There is also a senior role, the chief care manager. Chief care managers oversee, guide and train care managers and take on cases that need experience. To become one you need at least five years' experience as a care manager and must complete chief care manager training.

How much does a Care Manager earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,413,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Care managers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Care Manager?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 42% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Social Work & Community degrees; Junior college (短期大学) programme.

Will AI change the work of a Care 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