Shigoto Zukan
日本語

How to become はり師・きゅう師education, training, experience, licenses and the steps to enter

Japan Healthcare Confidence ★★★★★

Average annual pay
¥4.54M
≈ $28,881
Top pay (est.)
¥7.54M
Top 10% ¥6.54M
Pay in 5 years
¥5.21Mest.
2031
Pay in 10 years
¥5.98Mest.
¥5.14M–¥6.94M
Outlook score
58/100
★★★☆☆ Average
AI replacement risk
18%
Very low
Labor demand
High
Openings-to-applicants 1.88x

How to become はり師・きゅう師

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)
職業としてはり・きゅうを行うには、はり師免許、きゅう師免許を取る必要がある。
　はり師試験、きゅう師試験を受けるには、認定された専門学校か大学・短大ではり・きゅうの技能と知識を３年以上修学する必要がある。視力障害者の場合は、盲学校や視力障害センターなどで学ぶことが多い。なお、視覚障害者の場合には、中学校卒でも5年の教育を受ければ、国家試験の受験資格が得られる。
　はり・きゅう治療院などに数年間勤務して経験を積んでから、独立開業するケースが多く見られる。
　患者に直接接して治療することから、治療技術に加えて適切なコミュニケーションを通して相手の気持ちを和ませ、信頼関係を築くことが求められる。

Skills, education and requirements for はり師・きゅう師

Key skills

Active Listening
5.2
Speaking
4.8
Social Perceptiveness
4.5
Reading Comprehension
4.3
Writing
4.1
Persuasion
3.7
Active Learning
3.5
Learning Strategies
3.5

Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.

Key knowledge areas

Medicine and Dentistry
3.9
Therapy and Counseling
3.4
Customer and Personal Service
3.2
Psychology
2.7
Sales and Marketing
2.4
Administrative
2.1
Administration and Management
2.1
Communications and Media
2.0

What the work involves

Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsIdentifying Objects, Actions, and EventsMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsGetting InformationAssisting and Caring for OthersEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsEvaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Important abilities

Manual DexterityFinger DexterityArm-Hand SteadinessProblem SensitivityWrist-Finger SpeedOral Expression

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: ★★★★☆ Demanding (from education, training, experience, licenses)

Career path and how to earn more as はり師・きゅう師

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.