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Weighing and measuring appliance, photo-optic mechanical apparatus assembly workers

How to become an Optical Equipment Assembler

Also called: Microscope assembler, Optical instrument assembler, Digital camera assembler, Binocular assembler, Video camera assembler, Telescope assembler

Assembles optical equipment such as telescopes, microscopes, cameras and measuring instruments.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school or 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 people have studied engineering-related subjects. After joining, you have training in the basics and then gain practical experience through on-the-job training. Some people take outside courses in the skills they need. After gaining assembly experience, some move on to inspection (adjustment), learn 3D CAD and become designers, or move into technical sales. Others deepen their assembly skills and become specialists. It depends on the type of optical equipment, but it is said that about 5 years in assembly is needed to be recognised as fully skilled. A further 5 years or so is needed for inspection and adjustment, and about 10 years for design. A related qualification is the optical instrument manufacturing technician grade of the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. You handle very fine parts, so good hand skills and careful work are needed. It is important to keep working to the set methods and steps with consistent accuracy, so you need patience, knowledge of machines and materials, and the ability to read drawings.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Optical Equipment Assembler?

No particular education or qualification is required to start, but many people have studied engineering-related subjects. After joining, you have training in the basics and then gain practical experience through on-the-job training. Some people take outside courses in the skills they need. After gaining assembly experience, some move on to inspection (adjustment), learn 3D CAD and become designers, or move into technical sales. Others deepen their assembly skills and become specialists. It depends on the type of optical equipment, but it is said that about 5 years in assembly is needed to be recognised as fully skilled. A further 5 years or so is needed for inspection and adjustment, and about 10 years for design. A related qualification is the optical instrument manufacturing technician grade of the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. You handle very fine parts, so good hand skills and careful work are needed. It is important to keep working to the set methods and steps with consistent accuracy, so you need patience, knowledge of machines and materials, and the ability to read drawings.

How much does an Optical Equipment Assembler earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥4,575,000 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Other machine assemblers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become an Optical Equipment Assembler?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 17% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: College of technology (高等専門学校, kosen); National trade skills test (技能検定).

Will AI change the work of an Optical Equipment Assembler?

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