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Electrical, electronic, telecommunications engineers (except communication network engineers)

How to become a Medical Device Development Engineer

Also called: LCD design engineer, Circuit design engineer, Electronic equipment design engineer, Electric motor design engineer, Industrial robot design engineer, Precision measuring tool design engineer, Semiconductor equipment design engineer

Researches, develops and designs medical devices used in hospitals and clinics, working for a medical device manufacturer.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or a master's degree 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 qualifications are needed, but most new graduates hired have a university or postgraduate degree in engineering or science. For mid-career hires, practical experience is valued, and some people move from other industries. After joining, you take in-house training on regulations, design and other topics, then learn the specialist knowledge for the job on the job. For the first year or two, you work alongside senior colleagues on support tasks such as correcting drawings, reworking parts and revising technical documents, building your career as a designer. With promotion you may become a team leader and later a manager. The specialist knowledge for developing medical devices is mostly learned after joining, but basic skills such as reading and drawing technical drawings are useful. Problems often come up during development, so you need to keep trying with persistence. You also need to coordinate with many departments in the company, so communication skills are important. There are many chances to explain medical devices within the company or to customers, so presentation skills are needed too. You may also deal with overseas customers, so English skills are useful.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Medical Device Development Engineer?

No particular education or qualifications are needed, but most new graduates hired have a university or postgraduate degree in engineering or science. For mid-career hires, practical experience is valued, and some people move from other industries. After joining, you take in-house training on regulations, design and other topics, then learn the specialist knowledge for the job on the job. For the first year or two, you work alongside senior colleagues on support tasks such as correcting drawings, reworking parts and revising technical documents, building your career as a designer. With promotion you may become a team leader and later a manager. The specialist knowledge for developing medical devices is mostly learned after joining, but basic skills such as reading and drawing technical drawings are useful. Problems often come up during development, so you need to keep trying with persistence. You also need to coordinate with many departments in the company, so communication skills are important. There are many chances to explain medical devices within the company or to customers, so presentation skills are needed too. You may also deal with overseas customers, so English skills are useful.

How much does a Medical Device Development Engineer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥7,039,400 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Electrical, electronic, telecommunications engineers (except communication network engineers), which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Medical Device Development Engineer?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 64% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Medical Device Development 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