Peernovo
Authors

How to become a Translator

Translates written texts of all kinds, such as literature, academic books, news and legal documents, from foreign languages into Japanese or from Japanese into foreign languages.

Main tasks

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 licences are needed to start, but you need to build up your language skills at a translation school or through distance learning. To show a sound grounding in a foreign language, you may be asked for language test results (such as Eiken for English or the French proficiency test), a TOEIC score for English, or a qualification such as the JTA certified professional translator qualification. In literary translation, people get work by pitching to publishers, entering competitions or being introduced by translation schools. Business and technical translation needs knowledge of the technology or field, so most translators have work experience in a related field. They usually take a translation company's trial test, and how well they do decides whether they are registered and given work. At first you get rough drafts, fairly easy translations or jobs with long deadlines, and are tested on the accuracy of your translations, which are the product you sell, and whether you meet deadlines. Once your ability is recognised, you can get steady work and your rates go up. As well as foreign language ability, the ability to express things correctly in Japanese is essential. Beyond language skills, you also need to be able to gather information on the subject areas you translate.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

Related jobs

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Translator?

No particular qualifications or licences are needed to start, but you need to build up your language skills at a translation school or through distance learning. To show a sound grounding in a foreign language, you may be asked for language test results (such as Eiken for English or the French proficiency test), a TOEIC score for English, or a qualification such as the JTA certified professional translator qualification. In literary translation, people get work by pitching to publishers, entering competitions or being introduced by translation schools. Business and technical translation needs knowledge of the technology or field, so most translators have work experience in a related field. They usually take a translation company's trial test, and how well they do decides whether they are registered and given work. At first you get rough drafts, fairly easy translations or jobs with long deadlines, and are tested on the accuracy of your translations, which are the product you sell, and whether you meet deadlines. Once your ability is recognised, you can get steady work and your rates go up. As well as foreign language ability, the ability to express things correctly in Japanese is essential. Beyond language skills, you also need to be able to gather information on the subject areas you translate.

How much does a Translator earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥6,731,500 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Authors, journalists, editors, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Translator?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 73% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Translator?

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