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Other electric construction workers

How to become an Electrician

Also called: Air conditioner installer, Indoor wiring electrician, All-electric home installer, Aircraft wiring technician, Industrial electrical installer, Lighting installer, Solar panel installer, Electrical inspector

Runs electrical wiring inside buildings and installs the equipment that lets people use electricity.

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

Electrical work requires the electrician (denki koji shi) qualification. Most people complete a set course at a vocational training school, senmon gakko (vocational college) or an electrical contractors' association training centre and qualify before starting work, or train at a company training centre after joining and then qualify. There are first-class and second-class electrician qualifications, each with a defined scope of work. As well as graduates of electrical courses at technical high schools, people also join from senmon gakko, kosen (college of technology), tanki daigaku (junior college) and university. At large companies, after 15 to 20 years' experience you may become a foreman in charge of a site with several staff. Some people gain qualifications such as chief electrical engineer and move into building management or electrical works management, or set up their own electrical contracting business. Much of the work is in high, tight spaces such as on stepladders and ladders, so the job suits people with good balance and nimble hands. You handle electrical equipment, so care and a sense of responsibility are also needed.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Electrician?

Electrical work requires the electrician (denki koji shi) qualification. Most people complete a set course at a vocational training school, senmon gakko (vocational college) or an electrical contractors' association training centre and qualify before starting work, or train at a company training centre after joining and then qualify. There are first-class and second-class electrician qualifications, each with a defined scope of work. As well as graduates of electrical courses at technical high schools, people also join from senmon gakko, kosen (college of technology), tanki daigaku (junior college) and university. At large companies, after 15 to 20 years' experience you may become a foreman in charge of a site with several staff. Some people gain qualifications such as chief electrical engineer and move into building management or electrical works management, or set up their own electrical contracting business. Much of the work is in high, tight spaces such as on stepladders and ladders, so the job suits people with good balance and nimble hands. You handle electrical equipment, so care and a sense of responsibility are also needed.

How much does an Electrician earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥6,281,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Electric construction workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an Electrician?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 14% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Vocational college (専門学校) course: Electrical and electronic engineering.

Will AI change the work of an Electrician?

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