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General-purpose, manufacturing and business-use mechanical apparatus assembly workers

How to become a Production Machinery Assembler

Assembles custom-made or small-batch production machinery to order, following the design drawings provided.

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. Many people are graduates of technical high schools or senmon gakko (vocational colleges). Most mid-career hires move from the same industry. New graduates go through induction training, are placed in a department and do the work with on-the-job training. After 4 to 5 years of experience and meeting the company's requirements, you are considered fully skilled. As a career path, with experience and skill you can be promoted through shop-floor supervisory roles: leader, team leader (foreman) and then section foreman. By improving your assembly skills and knowledge, you may also move from assembly work into production engineering. A related qualification is the finishing technician grade of the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which is valued as proof of skill. If you do certain tasks after joining, such as operating cranes or welding, you may need licences such as a crane operator licence, forklift operator qualification or welder qualification. Some companies support staff in preparing for these exams. As well as the mechanical and electrical engineering needed for machine assembly, wide knowledge of systems engineering, control technology and electronic equipment is increasingly needed because assembly is becoming more robotic and electronic. You fit machine parts together and attach them to the main body in three dimensions, so hand-eye coordination, the ability to perceive shapes and spatial (3D) judgement are needed. You also need the patience and concentration to work long hours, and a fair amount of physical strength to lift heavy items and handle large parts. Communication skills are important because you often work on projects with design, sales and management staff.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Production Machinery Assembler?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Many people are graduates of technical high schools or senmon gakko (vocational colleges). Most mid-career hires move from the same industry. New graduates go through induction training, are placed in a department and do the work with on-the-job training. After 4 to 5 years of experience and meeting the company's requirements, you are considered fully skilled. As a career path, with experience and skill you can be promoted through shop-floor supervisory roles: leader, team leader (foreman) and then section foreman. By improving your assembly skills and knowledge, you may also move from assembly work into production engineering. A related qualification is the finishing technician grade of the ginou kentei (national trade skills test) set by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, which is valued as proof of skill. If you do certain tasks after joining, such as operating cranes or welding, you may need licences such as a crane operator licence, forklift operator qualification or welder qualification. Some companies support staff in preparing for these exams. As well as the mechanical and electrical engineering needed for machine assembly, wide knowledge of systems engineering, control technology and electronic equipment is increasingly needed because assembly is becoming more robotic and electronic. You fit machine parts together and attach them to the main body in three dimensions, so hand-eye coordination, the ability to perceive shapes and spatial (3D) judgement are needed. You also need the patience and concentration to work long hours, and a fair amount of physical strength to lift heavy items and handle large parts. Communication skills are important because you often work on projects with design, sales and management staff.

How much does a Production Machinery Assembler earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,225,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group General-purpose, manufacturing and business-use mechanical apparatus assembly workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Production Machinery 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 a Production Machinery 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