Abstract Background and Aim The development of hepatocarcinogenesis after a sustained virological response (SVR) remains an important issue affecting the balance between treatment and occupational life of workers with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Japan. Here, we aimed to evaluate the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) reducing effect and risk factors for developing HCC after SVR in patients treated with direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs) among the working population. Methods We studied 2579 working patients with chronic HCV infection who achieved SVR after antiviral treatment. We compared the difference in the cumulative incidence of post‐SVR HCC between the interferon (IFN)‐based n = 1615 and DAA (n = 964) groups. The risk factors for post‐SVR HCC development were determined in the DAA group. Results After propensity score matching (n = 644 in each group), the HCC development rates were not significantly different between the groups (P = 0.186). Multivariate Cox regression and the cutoff values determined by the receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that age ≥61 years, diabetes, lower serum albumin levels