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Construction, well-drilling machinery operators

How to become a Construction Machinery Operator

Also called: Pile driver operator, Excavator operator, Bulldozer operator, Wheel loader operator, Road roller operator, Truck crane operator, Dump truck driver, Gantry crane operator

Operates and looks after construction machinery and vehicles on building sites.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school 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. Usually, after joining, you do three to four months of in-house practical training on small construction machines (under 4 tonnes), then about a week of practical and classroom training at a machinery maker's training centre. After that you complete the vehicle-type construction machinery operation skills course overseen by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and are placed on site. To work on site as a construction machinery operator, depending on the machine, you need a crane and derrick operator licence (cranes only) or a mobile crane operator licence, to complete the course for vehicle-type construction machinery (foundation work) operators (both overseen by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), to hold the second grade construction machinery operation engineer qualification from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, or to graduate from a construction machinery course at a vocational training school. To work on public roads you also need a large special vehicle driving licence from the Public Safety Commission, so most operators hold one. Another national exam for operators is the construction machinery operation technical test (first and second grade), overseen by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Construction Machinery Operator?

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start. Usually, after joining, you do three to four months of in-house practical training on small construction machines (under 4 tonnes), then about a week of practical and classroom training at a machinery maker's training centre. After that you complete the vehicle-type construction machinery operation skills course overseen by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and are placed on site. To work on site as a construction machinery operator, depending on the machine, you need a crane and derrick operator licence (cranes only) or a mobile crane operator licence, to complete the course for vehicle-type construction machinery (foundation work) operators (both overseen by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare), to hold the second grade construction machinery operation engineer qualification from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, or to graduate from a construction machinery course at a vocational training school. To work on public roads you also need a large special vehicle driving licence from the Public Safety Commission, so most operators hold one. Another national exam for operators is the construction machinery operation technical test (first and second grade), overseen by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

How much does a Construction Machinery Operator earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,878,500 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Construction, well-drilling machinery operators, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Construction Machinery Operator?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 4% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Construction Machinery Operator?

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