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Agriculture, forestry, fishery and food engineers

How to become a Livestock Engineer

Also called: Livestock artificial insemination technician, Livestock extension officer, Chick sexer

Develops technology for animal breeding, feeding and the production of pasture, feed crops and livestock products, and guides livestock farmers in new techniques, farm management and environmental measures.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or 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

To start, you need to graduate from a school with specialist courses and learn the specialist knowledge and skills. To work at national or prefectural research institutes or as prefectural staff, you must pass the national or prefectural civil service exam and become a public servant. To become an extension officer, who gives farmers technical guidance in a public role, you must pass the qualifying exam under the enforcement order of the Agricultural Improvement Promotion Act. To sit it you need practical experience in research, education or extension work at national or prefectural government, agricultural cooperatives or similar for at least 4 years after university (2 years after postgraduate study, 6 years after tanki daigaku (junior college) or 10 years after upper secondary school). Among livestock engineering qualifications, chick sexer, who sorts newly hatched chicks into males and females, is an advantage in finding work. Qualifications that let you set up your own business include livestock artificial insemination technician and general livestock consultant. You work a lot with animals, so you need an interest in animals and a certain level of fitness.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Livestock Engineer?

To start, you need to graduate from a school with specialist courses and learn the specialist knowledge and skills. To work at national or prefectural research institutes or as prefectural staff, you must pass the national or prefectural civil service exam and become a public servant. To become an extension officer, who gives farmers technical guidance in a public role, you must pass the qualifying exam under the enforcement order of the Agricultural Improvement Promotion Act. To sit it you need practical experience in research, education or extension work at national or prefectural government, agricultural cooperatives or similar for at least 4 years after university (2 years after postgraduate study, 6 years after tanki daigaku (junior college) or 10 years after upper secondary school). Among livestock engineering qualifications, chick sexer, who sorts newly hatched chicks into males and females, is an advantage in finding work. Qualifications that let you set up your own business include livestock artificial insemination technician and general livestock consultant. You work a lot with animals, so you need an interest in animals and a certain level of fitness.

How much does a Livestock Engineer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥6,119,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Engineers not elsewhere classified, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Livestock Engineer?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 63% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Livestock Engineer?

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