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How to become a Planning and Research Officer

Also called: Planning officer, Research officer

Carries out market research and plans and designs new products and services.

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 for this job, but many people join after graduating from university or postgraduate study. There is also mid-career hiring. More recently some people hold qualifications such as an MBA (Master of Business Administration). New staff have a training programme of about a month, and training on topics such as logical thinking and building frameworks is available for those who want it. There is also management training at milestones such as three and five years after joining. After about two years of practical experience in planning and research, you can handle work from creating the concept for a new product to purchasing research ahead of launch. In the actual work, the judgement to read costs and profit and loss by department and a basic knowledge of marketing are important. Computer skills are essential. You also need the insight and foresight to read social and economic developments and market trends. To work in global marketing, language skills such as English or Chinese are needed.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Planning and Research Officer?

No particular education or qualification is required for this job, but many people join after graduating from university or postgraduate study. There is also mid-career hiring. More recently some people hold qualifications such as an MBA (Master of Business Administration). New staff have a training programme of about a month, and training on topics such as logical thinking and building frameworks is available for those who want it. There is also management training at milestones such as three and five years after joining. After about two years of practical experience in planning and research, you can handle work from creating the concept for a new product to purchasing research ahead of launch. In the actual work, the judgement to read costs and profit and loss by department and a basic knowledge of marketing are important. Computer skills are essential. You also need the insight and foresight to read social and economic developments and market trends. To work in global marketing, language skills such as English or Chinese are needed.

How much does a Planning and Research Officer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥7,368,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Planning clerks, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Planning and Research Officer?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 55% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Planning and Research Officer?

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