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Designers

How to become an Industrial Designer

Designs the shape, colour and style of all kinds of products, such as cars, home appliances, IT equipment and cameras.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or vocational college (senmon gakko) 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. New graduates join manufacturers, design studios and similar after finishing university, tanki daigaku (junior college) or senmon gakko (vocational college). Many have studied specialist design and engineering design subjects. For mid-career hiring, practical experience and specialist knowledge are needed, so designers with a strong track record are valued most. After gaining experience, some start their own design studio and design for manufacturers under contract. Because what you design will be made in a factory, it is important to understand the factory's conditions and capabilities to bring out the best in the product. As well as a sense of beauty in form, you need knowledge and skills in engineering, such as materials and structures. The job requires working with many departments in the company, so communication skills matter. As well as the ability to analyse and evaluate products objectively, you need wide marketing knowledge covering distribution, market development and sales promotion.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Industrial Designer?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. New graduates join manufacturers, design studios and similar after finishing university, tanki daigaku (junior college) or senmon gakko (vocational college). Many have studied specialist design and engineering design subjects. For mid-career hiring, practical experience and specialist knowledge are needed, so designers with a strong track record are valued most. After gaining experience, some start their own design studio and design for manufacturers under contract. Because what you design will be made in a factory, it is important to understand the factory's conditions and capabilities to bring out the best in the product. As well as a sense of beauty in form, you need knowledge and skills in engineering, such as materials and structures. The job requires working with many departments in the company, so communication skills matter. As well as the ability to analyse and evaluate products objectively, you need wide marketing knowledge covering distribution, market development and sales promotion.

How much does an Industrial Designer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,395,800 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Designers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an Industrial Designer?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 46% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Vocational college (専門学校) course: Design.

Will AI change the work of an Industrial Designer?

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