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Shop assistants

How to become a Second-Hand Shop Assistant

Assesses and buys goods people bring in, makes any repairs needed and sells them in the shop.

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. Few people join straight from school; most are hired mid-career. Some students who worked there part-time join as permanent staff. Large second-hand shop chains sometimes hire university graduates as future store managers. After joining, you learn about types of goods and prices, basic assessment and buying from manuals and on the job. You can get the product knowledge to set the selling prices that assessments are based on from the internet, catalogues and magazines, but you learn price negotiation when buying by watching how senior staff do it. Large chains may run training after you join on basic knowledge, skills and customer service manners, and may offer regular in-house courses and lectures to build your skills. Some people gain experience and aim to open their own shop. Once you can assess and sell goods smoothly, you are seen as a fully capable second-hand shop assistant. You need product knowledge and the ability to gather information from the internet and elsewhere to assess goods. Care and attention are needed to check the condition of goods and manage stock. You deal with people a lot when buying and selling, so customer service skills are important. Some work involves moving and collecting large, heavy items, so a certain level of fitness is needed.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Second-Hand Shop Assistant?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Few people join straight from school; most are hired mid-career. Some students who worked there part-time join as permanent staff. Large second-hand shop chains sometimes hire university graduates as future store managers. After joining, you learn about types of goods and prices, basic assessment and buying from manuals and on the job. You can get the product knowledge to set the selling prices that assessments are based on from the internet, catalogues and magazines, but you learn price negotiation when buying by watching how senior staff do it. Large chains may run training after you join on basic knowledge, skills and customer service manners, and may offer regular in-house courses and lectures to build your skills. Some people gain experience and aim to open their own shop. Once you can assess and sell goods smoothly, you are seen as a fully capable second-hand shop assistant. You need product knowledge and the ability to gather information from the internet and elsewhere to assess goods. Care and attention are needed to check the condition of goods and manage stock. You deal with people a lot when buying and selling, so customer service skills are important. Some work involves moving and collecting large, heavy items, so a certain level of fitness is needed.

How much does a Second-Hand Shop Assistant earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥3,847,600 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Shop assistants, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Second-Hand Shop Assistant?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 21% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: Junior college (短期大学) programme.

Will AI change the work of a Second-Hand Shop Assistant?

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