Specified Skilled Worker is a residence status for working in fields with serious labor shortages in Japan. The target fields and system details may be reviewed, so check the latest official information. Job duties, exams, and required conditions differ by field.

• Specified Skilled Worker System (Immigration Services Agency)
• Job Duties in Each Field (Immigration Services Agency)

• Nursing Care - Work that supports the daily lives of elderly people and others.
• Building Cleaning - Work that cleans buildings and manages hygiene.
• Industrial Product Manufacturing - Work in factories, such as metal processing, assembly, inspection, and sewing.
• Construction - Work related to civil engineering, construction, and equipment work.
• Shipbuilding and Marine Industry - Work that builds ships or handles ship parts.
• Automobile Maintenance - Work that inspects, maintains, and repairs cars.
• Aviation - Work related to airport ground handling and aircraft maintenance.
• Accommodation - Work that supports customer service and operations at hotels and inns.
• Automobile Transportation Business - Work related to transport by bus, taxi, truck, and other vehicles.
• Railway - Work related to railway operation, equipment, and vehicles.
• Agriculture - Work related to crop farming and livestock farming. Work styles change depending on the season and work location.
• Fisheries - Work related to fishing and aquaculture.
• Food and Beverage Manufacturing - Work in factories that make food and drinks.
• Food Service Industry - Work that cooks and serves customers at restaurants and similar places.
• Forestry - Work that grows and cuts trees in forests.
• Timber Industry - Work that processes wood and makes products.

• Jobs with many conversations: nursing care, accommodation, food service, railway transport staff, taxi, and similar jobs
• Jobs with much physical work or outdoor work: construction, agriculture, fishery, forestry, and similar jobs
• Jobs with many factory or machine tasks: industrial product manufacturing, food and beverage manufacturing, wood industry, automobile repair and maintenance, and similar jobs
• Jobs where night shifts and shift work are common: nursing care, accommodation, food service, aviation, railway, and some factory-related jobs
• When you check a job offer, check not only the monthly salary, but also dormitory fees, overtime pay, night shift allowance, work location, and social insurance

The following amounts are the average monthly payment for SSW foreign workers in 2021, published in government materials. They are not take-home pay. View them as amounts before taxes, social insurance fees, dormitory fees, food costs, and other deductions.

• Construction: 285,339 yen
• Automobile Maintenance
• Industrial Product Manufacturing
• Shipbuilding and Marine Industry
• Fishery: 236,634 yen
• Food service: 233,543 yen
• Food and Beverage Manufacturing
• Nursing care: 223,531 yen
• Building Cleaning
• Agriculture: 206,096 yen
• Accommodation: 194,358 yen
• Average for all fields: 231,979 yen

Aviation has a small number of target workers, so it is not included in the government statistics. Automobile transportation, railway, forestry, and wood industry were added in 2024, so there is no field-specific data for 2021.

Source: Immigration Services Agency, “Current Status of the Specified Skilled Worker System”

The number of foreign nationals living in Japan under SSW is published regularly. For the latest numbers by field and nationality, check the official page of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan.

• Publication of the Number of Specified Skilled Worker Foreign Nationals
• Specified Skilled Worker System