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Housekeepers, home helpers

How to become a Housekeeper

Also called: Domestic Helper, Care Housekeeper, Home Help Service Worker

Does all kinds of housework, such as cleaning, washing, shopping and cooking, mainly in private homes.

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 qualifications or level of education are needed. For housework jobs, though, you need general experience of cleaning, washing, cooking and other housework. For care jobs you need general experience of care such as help with eating, toileting, bathing and going to medical appointments. Looking for work starts with registering as a jobseeker with a housekeeper placement agency licensed by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. When a private household or other client has a vacancy, the agency matches you to it based on the client's working conditions. You then take a letter of introduction to the client's home, which is where you work. Various insurance schemes exist so housekeepers can work with peace of mind, and you can take out insurance as needed. When your contract with one client ends, the agency introduces you to the next one. As long as you are reasonably fit, you can keep doing this work whatever your age. There is also the Housekeeping Specialist Certification Test (kaseishi kentei), recognised by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, for building your skills.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Housekeeper?

No particular qualifications or level of education are needed. For housework jobs, though, you need general experience of cleaning, washing, cooking and other housework. For care jobs you need general experience of care such as help with eating, toileting, bathing and going to medical appointments. Looking for work starts with registering as a jobseeker with a housekeeper placement agency licensed by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. When a private household or other client has a vacancy, the agency matches you to it based on the client's working conditions. You then take a letter of introduction to the client's home, which is where you work. Various insurance schemes exist so housekeepers can work with peace of mind, and you can take out insurance as needed. When your contract with one client ends, the agency introduces you to the next one. As long as you are reasonably fit, you can keep doing this work whatever your age. There is also the Housekeeping Specialist Certification Test (kaseishi kentei), recognised by the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare, for building your skills.

How much does a Housekeeper earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,026,700 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other service workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Housekeeper?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 9% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Housekeeper?

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