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System consultants and designers

How to become an Infrastructure Systems Engineer

Also called: In-house systems engineer (system design), Systems architect, System design engineer, Software architect, IT architect, Infrastructure engineer

Designs and builds IT infrastructure (the core systems that information systems run on).

Main tasks

Workers in this job say 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, but many are university or postgraduate graduates, and some are kosen (college of technology) graduates. Most come from science backgrounds, but some from humanities. New graduates take about 3 months of training before being placed in a team. You build practical and applied skills through on-the-job training while you work. Some companies also run regular group training or remote training after that. Design documents are sometimes reviewed by colleagues to check each other's skills. Mid-career hires are often experienced people moving from other companies in the same industry. Some gain experience in system development and then take on IT infrastructure work. After that, career paths include becoming a project manager and then a manager, or becoming a specialist in a particular area. With experience, some become IT consultants. Related qualifications include Fundamental Information Technology Engineer, Applied Information Technology Engineer, Systems Architect, Network Specialist and Database Specialist, and some people sit these while working. You need knowledge and skills in designing and building IT infrastructure and in networks and servers. You draw out problems and needs from clients, and building systems is team work with many kinds of engineers, so communication skills are also important. The services and features of IaaS, PaaS and SaaS offered in the cloud develop every day, and their specifications change with them, so you also need to keep up with these developments and changes.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Infrastructure Systems Engineer?

No particular education or qualification is required to start, but many are university or postgraduate graduates, and some are kosen (college of technology) graduates. Most come from science backgrounds, but some from humanities. New graduates take about 3 months of training before being placed in a team. You build practical and applied skills through on-the-job training while you work. Some companies also run regular group training or remote training after that. Design documents are sometimes reviewed by colleagues to check each other's skills. Mid-career hires are often experienced people moving from other companies in the same industry. Some gain experience in system development and then take on IT infrastructure work. After that, career paths include becoming a project manager and then a manager, or becoming a specialist in a particular area. With experience, some become IT consultants. Related qualifications include Fundamental Information Technology Engineer, Applied Information Technology Engineer, Systems Architect, Network Specialist and Database Specialist, and some people sit these while working. You need knowledge and skills in designing and building IT infrastructure and in networks and servers. You draw out problems and needs from clients, and building systems is team work with many kinds of engineers, so communication skills are also important. The services and features of IaaS, PaaS and SaaS offered in the cloud develop every day, and their specifications change with them, so you also need to keep up with these developments and changes.

How much does an Infrastructure Systems Engineer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥8,890,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group System consultants and designers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an Infrastructure Systems Engineer?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 71% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of an Infrastructure Systems Engineer?

Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, 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