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Crop farming workers

How to become a Rice Farmer

Also called: Paddy rice farm worker

Grows rice in paddy fields, harvests it and sends it to market.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say high school 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. Rice growing needs large business assets such as paddy fields and farm machinery, so conditions are very different for people who take over assets from parents or relatives and people starting farming from scratch. In particular, people from non-farming backgrounds generally cannot buy farmland (paddy fields and so on), so most start on leased land. On the other hand, the farmers who have grown rice until now are ageing, and paddy fields without successors are being concentrated in the hands of particular local farmers through leases or contract work, so farms are tending to get bigger. Starting a new farm needs considerable investment in equipment, so the National New Farmer Consultation Centre supports people interested in farming by providing information on farmland, housing and jobs. You can learn the basic knowledge and skills of rice growing through internships offered by farming companies, or through training in rice-growing techniques and farm management at agricultural upper secondary schools, agricultural colleges or schools for new farmers. Another way is to work on a farm that hires casual workers, growing rice and learning the skills and business knowledge. Starting with a small mixed farm of rice and other crops and growing big enough to earn a steady income from rice alone takes at least several years. To run a farm, you need business management skills as well as specialist knowledge and skills in growing rice. A standard car licence and a large special vehicle licence are useful for driving tractors and light trucks.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Rice Farmer?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Rice growing needs large business assets such as paddy fields and farm machinery, so conditions are very different for people who take over assets from parents or relatives and people starting farming from scratch. In particular, people from non-farming backgrounds generally cannot buy farmland (paddy fields and so on), so most start on leased land. On the other hand, the farmers who have grown rice until now are ageing, and paddy fields without successors are being concentrated in the hands of particular local farmers through leases or contract work, so farms are tending to get bigger. Starting a new farm needs considerable investment in equipment, so the National New Farmer Consultation Centre supports people interested in farming by providing information on farmland, housing and jobs. You can learn the basic knowledge and skills of rice growing through internships offered by farming companies, or through training in rice-growing techniques and farm management at agricultural upper secondary schools, agricultural colleges or schools for new farmers. Another way is to work on a farm that hires casual workers, growing rice and learning the skills and business knowledge. Starting with a small mixed farm of rice and other crops and growing big enough to earn a steady income from rice alone takes at least several years. To run a farm, you need business management skills as well as specialist knowledge and skills in growing rice. A standard car licence and a large special vehicle licence are useful for driving tractors and light trucks.

How much does a Rice Farmer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥3,607,500 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Agriculture, forestry and fishery workers, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Rice Farmer?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 10% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Vocational college (専門学校) course: Agriculture.

Will AI change the work of a Rice Farmer?

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