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Post clerical workers

How to become a Post Office Counter Clerk

Works at a post office counter, accepting letters and parcels and selling stamps, postcards and other items.

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

Staff who work at post office counters are recruited by Japan Post Co., Ltd. Post offices mainly employ regional core staff (who do all kinds of company work, may be transferred to positions that require moving house, and are candidates for supervisory and management posts) and general staff (who do standard work, are not transferred in ways that require moving house, and are not appointed to supervisory or management posts). Recruitment is mainly of new graduates, and no particular licence is needed to apply. Part-time and contract staff are recruited by individual post offices as needed. After hiring, permanent staff take training at a training centre or similar to learn the basics of working for the company. Part-time and contract staff may also receive short training. You then get used to the work through on-the-job training at the post office. Permanent staff also have opportunities for training in the skills needed for their area of work and training linked to promotion. Permanent staff are transferred to other offices at regular intervals, though whether this means moving house depends on the job type. As well as postal counter work, you may also work at savings or insurance counters. At a post office, regional core staff may be promoted, subject to certain requirements, to supervisor, deputy section manager, section manager and postmaster. People of all ages visit post offices, so you need to see things from the customer's side and serve them courteously, and because you handle a lot of money, you must be accurate and not make mistakes with calculations. Teamwork in the workplace is also needed. The products, services and rules handled at the postal counter change often, so you must keep learning about the work after joining.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Post Office Counter Clerk?

Staff who work at post office counters are recruited by Japan Post Co., Ltd. Post offices mainly employ regional core staff (who do all kinds of company work, may be transferred to positions that require moving house, and are candidates for supervisory and management posts) and general staff (who do standard work, are not transferred in ways that require moving house, and are not appointed to supervisory or management posts). Recruitment is mainly of new graduates, and no particular licence is needed to apply. Part-time and contract staff are recruited by individual post offices as needed. After hiring, permanent staff take training at a training centre or similar to learn the basics of working for the company. Part-time and contract staff may also receive short training. You then get used to the work through on-the-job training at the post office. Permanent staff also have opportunities for training in the skills needed for their area of work and training linked to promotion. Permanent staff are transferred to other offices at regular intervals, though whether this means moving house depends on the job type. As well as postal counter work, you may also work at savings or insurance counters. At a post office, regional core staff may be promoted, subject to certain requirements, to supervisor, deputy section manager, section manager and postmaster. People of all ages visit post offices, so you need to see things from the customer's side and serve them courteously, and because you handle a lot of money, you must be accurate and not make mistakes with calculations. Teamwork in the workplace is also needed. The products, services and rules handled at the postal counter change often, so you must keep learning about the work after joining.

How much does a Post Office Counter Clerk earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,797,000 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Transport and post clerical workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Post Office Counter Clerk?

Not always. In this job's census occupation group, 29% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Post Office Counter Clerk?

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