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Other carrying, cleaning, packaging and related workers

How to become a Supermarket Backroom Worker

Also called: Packaging machine operator, Film wrapper, Shelf stacker, Merchandiser, Stock replenisher

Works in the back room of a supermarket, mainly packaging food and restocking shelves.

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. Many people join as part-time or casual staff. Some join a supermarket as permanent staff and are put in charge of the back room. Permanent staff often also manage part-time and casual staff. You need awareness of hygiene and safety, respect for company rules and good time management. You also need a memory for product knowledge and where goods are on the shop floor, and attention when checking things like country-of-origin labels. Consideration for customers is important too. Teamwork is essential in back-room work, so you need cooperation so that everyone does their own job responsibly and the team works efficiently.

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Supermarket Backroom Worker?

No particular education or qualification is required to start. Many people join as part-time or casual staff. Some join a supermarket as permanent staff and are put in charge of the back room. Permanent staff often also manage part-time and casual staff. You need awareness of hygiene and safety, respect for company rules and good time management. You also need a memory for product knowledge and where goods are on the shop floor, and attention when checking things like country-of-origin labels. Consideration for customers is important too. Teamwork is essential in back-room work, so you need cooperation so that everyone does their own job responsibly and the team works efficiently.

How much does a Supermarket Backroom Worker earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥3,536,200 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Carrying, cleaning and packing workers not elsewhere classified, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Supermarket Backroom Worker?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 14% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Supermarket Backroom Worker?

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