Peernovo
Metal sculpture and plating workers

How to become an Electroplater

Also called: Plating equipment operator, Anodiser, Electroless plater, Vapour deposition plater, Chemical conversion coater, Vacuum plater, Electroplating worker, Rustproofing worker

Coats the surface of metal, plastic, ceramics and other materials with a thin layer of metal (plating).

Main tasks

Workers in this job say 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

No particular education or qualification is required to start. People usually join after finishing a technical high school or similar. There is also mid-career recruitment from other jobs. Most new school leavers find jobs through their school or Hello Work (public employment service). Mid-career hiring is done through Hello Work, newspapers and job advertisements. After joining, people usually gain various qualifications while building hands-on plating experience. You can also learn plating at a public vocational training school. A related qualification is the plating technician grade of the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. There are also qualifications under the Industrial Safety and Health Act, such as specified chemical substances work chief and organic solvent work chief. National qualifications such as poisonous and deleterious substances manager and pollution control manager are also an advantage. To set up plating jobs and specify plating thickness, you need basic knowledge of plating, such as the make-up of the chemical baths and the treatment conditions for each type of plating, item and required quality. Some work is done standing in a hot, humid environment, so a fair amount of physical strength is needed.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Electroplater?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. People usually join after finishing a technical high school or similar. There is also mid-career recruitment from other jobs. Most new school leavers find jobs through their school or Hello Work (public employment service). Mid-career hiring is done through Hello Work, newspapers and job advertisements. After joining, people usually gain various qualifications while building hands-on plating experience. You can also learn plating at a public vocational training school. A related qualification is the plating technician grade of the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. There are also qualifications under the Industrial Safety and Health Act, such as specified chemical substances work chief and organic solvent work chief. National qualifications such as poisonous and deleterious substances manager and pollution control manager are also an advantage. To set up plating jobs and specify plating thickness, you need basic knowledge of plating, such as the make-up of the chemical baths and the treatment conditions for each type of plating, item and required quality. Some work is done standing in a hot, humid environment, so a fair amount of physical strength is needed.

How much does an Electroplater earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,484,600 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).

Do you need a degree to become an Electroplater?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 16% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: National trade skills test (技能検定).

Will AI change the work of an Electroplater?

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