How to become 訪問介護員/ホームヘルパーeducation, training, experience, licenses and the steps to enter

Japan Caregiving Confidence ★★★★★

Average annual pay
¥3.82M
≈ $24,286
Top pay (est.)
¥6.22M
Top 10% ¥5.42M
Pay in 5 years
¥4.54Mest.
2031
Pay in 10 years
¥5.39Mest.
¥4.63M–¥6.25M
Outlook score
68/100
★★★☆☆ Good
AI replacement risk
6%
Very low
Labor demand
Very high
Openings-to-applicants 3.84x

How to become 訪問介護員/ホームヘルパー

The typical path in Japan is shown by the education, training and experience of current workers above and in the Japanese guidance below. A detailed English guide for this occupation is being prepared.

Guidance from job tag (Japanese)
訪問介護員になるには「介護職員初任者研修課程」を修了する必要がある。研修は自治体や社会福祉協議会、企業などで行われている。(ホームヘルパー2級は2013年4月に介護資格制度の見直しが行われたため、介護職員初任者研修課程に変更されている。なお、ホームヘルパー2級を有していれば、介護職員初任者研修課程を修了相当とみなされる。)
 3年以上の実務経験を積み、「実務者研修」を受講して国家試験に合格すると、介護福祉士の資格を取得できる。
 実務者研修の修了者や介護福祉士などは「サービス提供責任者」になることができる。
 多くは、介護保険制度、障害者総合支援法の指定訪問介護事業所に雇用されており、雇用形態には常勤、非常勤がある。地域に密着したサービスを提供する仕事であり、短時間勤務も可能であることなどから、主婦などの就労の場ともなっている。
 介護、家事など生活援助の技術・知識はもちろんのこと、相手の気持ちや状態を察する思いやり、相談を受け止め信頼関係を築けること、身体介護に対応できる体力も必要となる。
 訪問介護員から入所施設、通所施設の介護職員への移動、又は、その逆の移動も少なくない。

Skills, education and requirements for 訪問介護員/ホームヘルパー

Key skills

Active Listening
4.2
Service Orientation
3.5
Social Perceptiveness
3.2
Reading Comprehension
3.1
Speaking
3.0
Instructing
3.0
Writing
2.9
Persuasion
2.9

Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.

Key knowledge areas

Customer and Personal Service
2.2
Medicine and Dentistry
1.9
Therapy and Counseling
1.8
Psychology
1.7
Education and Training
1.5
Sociology and Anthropology
1.3
Communications and Media
1.3
English Language
1.0

What the work involves

Assisting and Caring for OthersMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Important abilities

Problem SensitivityStatic StrengthOral ExpressionStaminaWritten ExpressionOral Comprehension

Licenses and certifications (Japan)

Related qualifications listed on job tag (names in Japanese). Some are mandatory, others recommended.

Education of workers

Training before entry

Related work experience

Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience, licenses)

Career path and how to earn more as 訪問介護員/ホームヘルパー

Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by experience is shown in the Pay section.

Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data
Sources: Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), Population Census and Hello Work employment statistics as published on the MHLW job tag site (retrieved Nov 1, 2026); Occupational Information Database (JILPT). Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.