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Metal product inspection workers

How to become an Industrial Product Inspector

Also called: Metal products inspector, Metal press inspector, Boilermaking inspector, Structural steel inspector, Sheet metal inspector, Plating inspector, Welding inspector, Pharmaceutical products inspector

Uses various methods to inspect industrial products during manufacture and check that their appearance, quality and function meet standards and have no defects.

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

Generally no particular education is required. The qualifications and experience needed vary widely with the product being inspected and the kind of inspection, from work beginners can do to work where a particular qualification is preferred or some years of experience are needed. Much of the work needs no special qualification, and recently, thanks to better measuring equipment, even people with little experience can carry out high-precision inspections. However, for advanced or specialist inspection, knowledge of the basics of measurement and product processing is an advantage, and fairly many are graduates of university engineering faculties or mechanical courses at technical high schools. Even then, people rarely become inspectors straight away; they often move across from manufacturing departments. Each product has set inspection steps and items, but you must also pay attention to efficiency, so you need to build up know-how, such as judging from experience which items deserve more time. In terms of career, you move from simpler inspections to more difficult ones as you gain experience. After some years you may be promoted to supervisor and then deputy section manager, and later take on management or supervisory roles. For jobs inspecting machine parts with measuring instruments, holding the machine inspection skilled worker qualification from the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) run by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is an advantage. For non-destructive testing, related qualifications include non-destructive testing engineer and non-destructive testing general manager, run by the Japanese Society for Non-Destructive Inspection. Another related qualification is the Quality Control (QC) Certification, run by the Japanese Standards Association and others and accredited by the Japanese Society for Quality Control. To improve the quality of your inspection work, it is important to broaden your knowledge of the products you handle, and depending on the product, knowledge of electrical and electronic engineering, mechanics or chemistry helps. Recently there has also been more focus on managing inspection figures, and knowledge of statistical data management may be needed. Inspection involves detailed, set tasks repeated precisely, so you need to keep up your judgement and concentration and be suited to doing the same work quietly every day without getting bored. Because deadlines matter, you also need to work efficiently and in an organised way and be able to suggest solutions from different angles. The work can involve standing or working in particular positions, so a certain level of fitness is needed. Visual inspection may require a certain standard of eyesight. Some products are inspected by touch or by hearing. You often coordinate and cooperate with others in production and report to or consult supervisors when there are problems, so communication skills are important. To stay in the job for a long time, it helps to be interested in making things and comfortable operating machines and tools. Because the work protects product quality and customers' trust, you need to be responsible and trustworthy.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Industrial Product Inspector?

Generally no particular education is required. The qualifications and experience needed vary widely with the product being inspected and the kind of inspection, from work beginners can do to work where a particular qualification is preferred or some years of experience are needed. Much of the work needs no special qualification, and recently, thanks to better measuring equipment, even people with little experience can carry out high-precision inspections. However, for advanced or specialist inspection, knowledge of the basics of measurement and product processing is an advantage, and fairly many are graduates of university engineering faculties or mechanical courses at technical high schools. Even then, people rarely become inspectors straight away; they often move across from manufacturing departments. Each product has set inspection steps and items, but you must also pay attention to efficiency, so you need to build up know-how, such as judging from experience which items deserve more time. In terms of career, you move from simpler inspections to more difficult ones as you gain experience. After some years you may be promoted to supervisor and then deputy section manager, and later take on management or supervisory roles. For jobs inspecting machine parts with measuring instruments, holding the machine inspection skilled worker qualification from the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) run by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is an advantage. For non-destructive testing, related qualifications include non-destructive testing engineer and non-destructive testing general manager, run by the Japanese Society for Non-Destructive Inspection. Another related qualification is the Quality Control (QC) Certification, run by the Japanese Standards Association and others and accredited by the Japanese Society for Quality Control. To improve the quality of your inspection work, it is important to broaden your knowledge of the products you handle, and depending on the product, knowledge of electrical and electronic engineering, mechanics or chemistry helps. Recently there has also been more focus on managing inspection figures, and knowledge of statistical data management may be needed. Inspection involves detailed, set tasks repeated precisely, so you need to keep up your judgement and concentration and be suited to doing the same work quietly every day without getting bored. Because deadlines matter, you also need to work efficiently and in an organised way and be able to suggest solutions from different angles. The work can involve standing or working in particular positions, so a certain level of fitness is needed. Visual inspection may require a certain standard of eyesight. Some products are inspected by touch or by hearing. You often coordinate and cooperate with others in production and report to or consult supervisors when there are problems, so communication skills are important. To stay in the job for a long time, it helps to be interested in making things and comfortable operating machines and tools. Because the work protects product quality and customers' trust, you need to be responsible and trustworthy.

How much does an Industrial Product Inspector earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,604,800 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Product inspectors (metal products), which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an Industrial Product Inspector?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 19% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: National trade skills test (技能検定).

Will AI change the work of an Industrial Product Inspector?

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