How much does a dry cleaner make in Japan?

In Japan, pay can differ with experience and credentials: a license brings added responsibility, and some employers offer qualification allowances. It also varies by employer (shop or factory, independent shop or chain), local area, full- or part-time hours, seasonal workload, and specialist duties like stain removal.

What's a typical day like?

Workers check pockets, care labels, fabric and stains, then sort clothes and choose water or solvent washing. They run machines, press or iron each item, fold and wrap it, and check that every piece is accounted for.

Many start in a shop or factory and learn at work; ordinary jobs need no special degree. For a Japanese cleaner's license, finish junior high, pass your prefecture's hygiene, laundry and skills exam, then apply; there is no age limit.

Japanese dry-cleaning shops can reuse solvent: they filter or distill it to clean it, rather than simply pouring it away.

Japan's figure is the average and the US figure is the median. Prices and exchange rates matter too, so it's a rough comparison.