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Scaffolding workers (tobishoku)

How to become a Demolition Worker

Also called: Building demolition worker, House demolition worker, Concrete breaker, Wrecker

Pulls down existing buildings and structures with tools and machines (demolition work) and sorts certain building materials.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school or less than 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 qualifications or education are needed to start, but it is helpful to have an ordinary driving licence. People also join mid-career. After joining, you learn the steps of the work on the job and, while building experience, you can widen the range of work you do by attending courses such as gas welding, excavation, scaffolding assembly, steel erection and demolition of concrete structures, and gaining related qualifications as needed. It takes about three to five years to become fully skilled. As a rule, anyone with at least eight years of demolition work experience can sit the exam for certified demolition works engineer, and passing it marks you as a demolition specialist. The work involves danger, so accuracy and attentiveness are needed.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Demolition Worker?

No particular qualifications or education are needed to start, but it is helpful to have an ordinary driving licence. People also join mid-career. After joining, you learn the steps of the work on the job and, while building experience, you can widen the range of work you do by attending courses such as gas welding, excavation, scaffolding assembly, steel erection and demolition of concrete structures, and gaining related qualifications as needed. It takes about three to five years to become fully skilled. As a rule, anyone with at least eight years of demolition work experience can sit the exam for certified demolition works engineer, and passing it marks you as a demolition specialist. The work involves danger, so accuracy and attentiveness are needed.

How much does a Demolition Worker earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,145,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Building frame workers (formwork, scaffolding, reinforcing), which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Demolition Worker?

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

Will AI change the work of a Demolition Worker?

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