手話通訳者 手話通訳者
What 手話通訳者 do
An English description is being prepared. Japanese description:
聴覚障害者と健聴者（耳が聞こえる人）との間で、聴覚障害者に対しては健聴者の話し言葉を手話や筆談、身振り、口話など、あらゆる手段を通して伝え、また逆に健聴者に対しては、聴覚障害者の手話を読み取り、話し言葉に置き換えていく仕事をする。
聴覚障害者のコミュニケーション手段は、聞こえなくなった年齢や成育歴、受けた教育などにより多様である。そのため、聴覚障害者の言語力などを見極め、その人に伝えられる手話を駆使し、コミュニケーション全般を調整することが必要である。
手話通訳は、就業、子育て、教育、近隣とのつきあいなど、聴覚障害者の日常の生活にかかわるあらゆる場面で必要とされる。とりわけ、生命にかかわる医療の場や権利を守る裁判の場では、専門的な用語をよく理解して通訳する必要がある。
手話通訳者 salary
The average annual pay for 手話通訳者 in Japan is ¥5.83M (≈ $37,094; Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), national). The estimated median is ¥5.42M, the typical range is ¥3.93M–¥10.11M and the top 10% earn about ¥8.68M.
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The distribution is estimated from Japan's national wage statistics, including pay differences by age.
Pay by ageest.
Estimated from the average pay and average age (41.7) using the age-wage curve of the Basic Survey on Wage Structure.
Pay by experienceest.
Pay by employment typeest.
The average hourly wage of ¥2,876 is 2.4× Japan's national average minimum wage of ¥1,177 (fiscal 2026). Minimum wage by prefecture →
Japanese pay is shown in yen (¥5.57M = 5.57 million yen ≈ 557万円). Dollar figures use the current rate of 157.25 yen per dollar and are for reference only; purchasing power differs.
Pay over time
| Year | Average pay | Employment | Openings ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ¥5.84M | — | — |
| 2022 | ¥5.80M | — | — |
| 2023 | ¥5.51M | — | 0.92x |
| 2024 | ¥5.91M | — | 0.81x |
| 2025 | ¥5.83M | — | 0.77x |
Projected pay for 手話通訳者 (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today ¥5.83M → in 3 years ¥6.35M → in 5 years ¥6.73M → in 10 years ¥7.75M (10-year range ¥6.67M–¥9.00M). The model assumes pay growth of +2.9% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (the job-openings-to-applicants ratio), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for 手話通訳者
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace 手話通訳者? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using the MHLW job tag survey on work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for 手話通訳者
A ratio above 1.0 means there are more job openings than applicants (a labor shortage). The 5- and 10-year figures are estimates from the openings ratio, wage momentum and AI replacement risk.
The same job in the United States
| 手話通訳者 Japan | Interpreters and Translators United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | ¥5.83M ≈ $37,094 | $60,170 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | ¥7.75M | $78,500 |
| Outlook score | 64 | 52 |
| AI replacement risk | 21% Low | 57% Moderate |
| Workers | — | 52K |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for 手話通訳者
Key skills
Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.
Key knowledge areas
Licenses and certifications (Japan)
- 手話通訳士
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: ★★★★★ Hard to enter (from education, training, experience, licenses)
How to become 手話通訳者
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)
資格試験には「手話通訳技能認定試験」があり、（社会福祉法人）聴力障害者情報文化センターが実施している。その合格者は、同法人に登録することで「手話通訳士」と称することが可能となる。
また、全国手話研修センターが実施する「手話通訳者全国統一試験」に合格し、都道府県独自の「手話通訳者認定試験」に合格することで、都道府県公認の「認定手話通訳者」になることができる。
政見放送の手話通訳など、一部の業務は「手話通訳士」でなければすることができない。仕事としての手話通訳で一人前になるまでには、最低でも4～5年の経験が必要である。
言葉によるコミュニケーションへの興味があり、人の伝えたいことを積極的に分かろうとし、表現力の豊かな人に向いている仕事である。
Career path and how to earn more as 手話通訳者
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by experience is shown in the Pay section.