めっき工 めっき工
What めっき工 do
An English description is being prepared. Japanese description:
めっきは、さびや腐食を防いだり（防錆機能）、品物を美しく見せることによって価値を高める（装飾機能）、また、傷や摩耗を防いだり（機械的特性）、電気を伝わりやすくする（電気的特性）などの目的で広く使われている。
めっきの方法は、水溶液を用いてめっきする「湿式めっき」と真空中で蒸発させた金属を用いる「乾式めっき」に大別される。「湿式めっき」には、電気を用いてめっきする「電気めっき」と化学反応を用いてめっきする「化学めっき(無電解めっき)」が、「乾式めっき」には「真空めっき」などがある。普通、めっきというと電気めっきや化学めっきをさす。電気めっきは、金属塩を含む電解質溶液の中でめっきされる金属を陰極として電気分解し、陰極の表面にめっき金属が析出する電気化学反応を利用して行う。
めっき工は、通常、まず治具（じぐ）にかけられた素材を、酸、アルカリ、脱脂液、めっき液、水の入った処理槽に何回も出し入れする作業を行う。次に、乾燥を終えためっき製品を治具から取りはずし、検査後、梱包作業にまわす。
処理槽への治具の出し入れと搬送は、昔は手作業であったが、最近は、一部ホイストなどによる半自動式の他、自動めっき装置で脱脂から乾燥までの全工程を行う完全自動装置が普及している。これにともなって、めっき工の仕事は、めっきの前処理のための素材のブラッシングや重量物の運搬といった肉体労働中心から、ホイストの操作や自動めっき装置による電流・時間調整の作業に変わってきている。
◇ よく使う道具、機材、情報技術等
治具（じぐ）、ホイスト、自動めっき装置、作業中の保護具（ヘルメット、ゴーグル、グローブ、安全靴等）
Employment type of workers
めっき工 salary
The average annual pay for めっき工 in Japan is ¥4.48M (≈ $28,519; Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), national). The estimated median is ¥4.17M, the typical range is ¥3.17M–¥7.43M and the top 10% earn about ¥6.45M.
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 (43.1) using the age-wage curve of the Basic Survey on Wage Structure.
Pay by experienceest.
Pay by employment typeest.
The average hourly wage of ¥2,053 is 1.7× 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 | ¥4.35M | — | — |
| 2022 | ¥4.50M | — | — |
| 2023 | ¥4.39M | — | 1.12x |
| 2024 | ¥4.62M | — | 0.98x |
| 2025 | ¥4.48M | — | 0.96x |
Projected pay for めっき工 (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today ¥4.48M → in 3 years ¥4.73M → in 5 years ¥4.91M → in 10 years ¥5.37M (10-year range ¥4.62M–¥6.23M). The model assumes pay growth of +1.8% 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 めっき工
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 めっき工? 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 めっき工
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
| めっき工 Japan | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | ¥4.48M ≈ $28,519 | $43,960 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | ¥5.37M | $56,000 |
| Outlook score | 38 | 31 |
| AI replacement risk | 54% Moderate | 31% Low |
| Workers | — | 32K |
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 めっき工
Key skills
Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Licenses and certifications (Japan)
- めっき技能士 National license
- 特定化学物質作業主任者
- 有機溶剤作業主任者
- 毒物劇物取扱責任者
- 公害防止管理者
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)
How to become めっき工
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)
新規学卒者は、学校、ハローワークの紹介がほとんどである。中途採用は、ハローワーク、新聞、求人広告等で行われている。
入職後、現場でのめっき作業の実務経験を重ねる中で各種の資格を取得していくのが一般的である。公共職業訓練校に入校してめっき技術を習得することもできる。
関連資格として厚生労働省が定める技能検定の「めっき技能士」がある。また、労働安全衛生法に定める「特定化学物質作業主任者」や「有機溶剤作業主任者」などの資格がある。この他にも「毒物劇物取扱責任者」、「公害防止管理者」などの国家資格も持っていると有利である。
めっきの段取りやめっきの厚み指定を行うために、めっきの種類、品物、要求品質に応じた薬品層の組成と処理条件など、めっきに関する基礎知識を持っている必要がある。高温多湿の作業環境の中で立ち作業を行う場合もあり、一定の体力が必要である。
Career path and how to earn more as めっき工
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by experience is shown in the Pay section.