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Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere

How to become a Sign Language Interpreter

Makes communication possible between Deaf people and hearing people using sign language and other means, and supports Deaf people who face difficulties in daily life.

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 qualifications or level of education are needed to start. Many people get into the work after building up interpreting experience, for example by taking the sign language volunteer and interpreter training courses run by prefectures, or by learning at local sign language circles and spending time with Deaf people. Some welfare-focused universities, tanki daigaku (junior colleges) and senmon gakko (vocational colleges) also train sign language interpreters. The qualification exam is the Sign Language Interpretation Skills Certification Test, run by the Information and Culture Center for the Deaf (a social welfare corporation). Those who pass can register with the centre and call themselves a certified sign language interpreter (shuwa tsuyakushi). You can also become a prefecture-recognised certified sign language interpreter by passing the national unified sign language interpreter exam run by the National Sign Language Training Center and then your prefecture's own certification exam. Some work, such as interpreting election broadcasts, can only be done by a certified sign language interpreter (shuwa tsuyakushi). It takes at least four to five years of experience to become fully capable as a professional interpreter. The job suits people who are interested in communication through language, who make a real effort to understand what others want to say, and who express themselves well.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Sign Language Interpreter?

No particular qualifications or level of education are needed to start. Many people get into the work after building up interpreting experience, for example by taking the sign language volunteer and interpreter training courses run by prefectures, or by learning at local sign language circles and spending time with Deaf people. Some welfare-focused universities, tanki daigaku (junior colleges) and senmon gakko (vocational colleges) also train sign language interpreters. The qualification exam is the Sign Language Interpretation Skills Certification Test, run by the Information and Culture Center for the Deaf (a social welfare corporation). Those who pass can register with the centre and call themselves a certified sign language interpreter (shuwa tsuyakushi). You can also become a prefecture-recognised certified sign language interpreter by passing the national unified sign language interpreter exam run by the National Sign Language Training Center and then your prefecture's own certification exam. Some work, such as interpreting election broadcasts, can only be done by a certified sign language interpreter (shuwa tsuyakushi). It takes at least four to five years of experience to become fully capable as a professional interpreter. The job suits people who are interested in communication through language, who make a real effort to understand what others want to say, and who express themselves well.

How much does a Sign Language Interpreter earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,833,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Sign Language Interpreter?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 67% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Sign Language Interpreter?

Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, 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