大工 大工
What 大工 do
An English description is being prepared. Japanese description:
大都市圏を中心に建物の高層化・不燃化が進み、鉄骨造・鉄筋コンクリート造など木造でない建築も増えているが、その内部には木質系の素材を使用する場合が多い。そうした内部設備の加工、組立て、取付けを行うことも多い。
仕事は、木工事を中心に、構造組み、造作加工などの作業の他に、建築計画を立て、建築主と相談しながら費用を見積り、工期を設定し、必要な資材や技能者を手配するなど工事請負人としての仕事や、建築現場で他職種の技能者を組織して、計画どおり工事が進むようにする工事管理の仕事など、広範囲にわたる。
住宅建築では、プラスチック系や金属系、窯業系など、木材系以外の建築資材が多用されている。それに合わせて、そうした建築資材の性質や、接着剤、接合金物類などの知識が求められる。また、ノコギリやノミ、カンナなど古くからある道具の他に、いろいろな電動工具・加工機具が使われるようになり、そうした工具・機具を使いこなすことも求められる。大工は工務店の経営者であることが多く、そうした場合には、工程・品質・原価など、工事を管理していくための知識や、人を指揮する能力も要求される。
◇ よく使う道具、機材、情報技術等
工具（かなづち、のこぎり、ノミ、カンナ等の手動工具、ドリル等の電動工具、加工器具）、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
大工 salary
The average annual pay for 大工 in Japan is ¥4.85M (≈ $30,874; Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), national). The estimated median is ¥4.52M, the typical range is ¥3.39M–¥8.15M and the top 10% earn about ¥7.05M.
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 (50.2) using the age-wage curve of the Basic Survey on Wage Structure.
Pay by experienceest.
Pay by employment typeest.
The average hourly wage of ¥2,175 is 1.8× 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 | ¥4.06M | — | — |
| 2022 | ¥4.07M | — | — |
| 2023 | ¥4.57M | — | 4.82x |
| 2024 | ¥4.49M | — | 4.59x |
| 2025 | ¥4.85M | — | 4.37x |
Projected pay for 大工 (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today ¥4.85M → in 3 years ¥5.38M → in 5 years ¥5.77M → in 10 years ¥6.85M (10-year range ¥5.89M–¥7.95M). The model assumes pay growth of +3.5% 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 大工
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 大工? 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 大工
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.
Skills, education and requirements for 大工
Key skills
Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Licenses and certifications (Japan)
- 二級建築士 National license
- 木造建築士 National license
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)
How to become 大工
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)
大工は、伝統技術を受け継ぎながら新しい住宅建築への要求に応えていくだけの向上心と器用さ、更には体力が必要とされる。ただし、電動工具などの大道具の機械化で大工の仕事の肉体的な負荷の軽減も進んでいる。
技術と統率力が向上すれば独立することも可能である。工務店の経営者になると工程、品質、原価など工事を管理していくための知識や指導力が求められる。なお、規模の大きな木造住宅の設計、工事管理をするためには、「二級建築士」や「木造建築士」の資格が必要で、親方の多くは、二級建築士や木造建築士資格を保有している。
Career path and how to earn more as 大工
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by experience is shown in the Pay section.