Peernovo
Food manufacturing workers

How to become a Dairy Product Maker

Also called: Milk production worker, Cheesemaker, Butter maker, Yoghurt maker, Cheese production equipment operator, Dairy production equipment operator

Makes dairy products such as milk, yoghurt, butter and cheese.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or 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. Most entrants have at least finished high school, and as well as general high schools some come from agricultural high schools. After starting, people usually learn the basics about the products in training, do practical training and are then placed in a factory. After that they learn knowledge and skills mainly on the job, guided by supervisors and senior staff. Quality and hygiene control of milk and dairy products is strict. At every stage from receiving raw materials to the finished product, as well as checking the products, staff check things such as date labels and foreign objects. Samples of finished products are tested for flavour, composition, texture and bacteria through storage tests and other checks. A related qualification is food hygiene manager, and every facility that makes or processes dairy products must have a food hygiene manager to oversee hygiene.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Dairy Product Maker?

No particular education or qualifications are needed to start. Most entrants have at least finished high school, and as well as general high schools some come from agricultural high schools. After starting, people usually learn the basics about the products in training, do practical training and are then placed in a factory. After that they learn knowledge and skills mainly on the job, guided by supervisors and senior staff. Quality and hygiene control of milk and dairy products is strict. At every stage from receiving raw materials to the finished product, as well as checking the products, staff check things such as date labels and foreign objects. Samples of finished products are tested for flavour, composition, texture and bacteria through storage tests and other checks. A related qualification is food hygiene manager, and every facility that makes or processes dairy products must have a food hygiene manager to oversee hygiene.

How much does a Dairy Product Maker earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥3,967,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Food, beverage and tobacco production workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Dairy Product Maker?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 13% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Dairy Product Maker?

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