How to become a Dairy Products Factory Worker

Operates machines and performs routine tasks to make, process and package or bottle milk, milk powder, yoghurt, butter, cheese and other dairy products.

Main tasks

• Operates machines to pasteurise and homogenise milk
• Adds ingredients and additives to milk to create specific dairy products
• Monitors and controls temperature, pressure and flow rates during production process to ensure proper processing and storage of dairy products
• Performs fermentation and culturing processes to produce various types of dairy products
• Ensures proper bottling, wrapping, packaging, labelling and sealing of dairy products
• Moves packaged products to storage areas to prepare for distribution
• Tests samples of dairy products for quality and consistency, and follows industry standards and safety guidelines to ensure efficient and safe production of dairy products

Ways in

• TAFE and VET: Certificate III in Food Processing (FBP30121); Certificate II in Food Processing (FBP20122); Certificate IV in Food Processing (FBP40321); Certificate IV in Food Science and Technology (FBP40421); Diploma of Artisan Cheesemaking (FBP50321); Certificate I in Food Processing (FBP10121)

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $85,644 a year
• About 28,100 people work in this job group now, and about 28,900 are projected by 2035. (+2.8%)
• AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Related jobs

• Baking Factory Worker
• Brewery Worker
• Coffee Roaster
• Confectionery Maker
• Fruit and Vegetable Factory Worker
• Grain Mill Worker

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Dairy Products Factory Worker?

Ways in include: Certificate III in Food Processing; Certificate II in Food Processing.

How much does a Dairy Products Factory Worker earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $85,644 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Dairy Products Factory Worker a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 28,100 to about 28,900 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Dairy Products Factory Worker?

Usually not. Only 12% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate III in Food Processing; Certificate II in Food Processing.

Will AI change the work of a Dairy Products Factory Worker?

AI is more likely to help with parts of this job than to do it. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as low.

Sources

• Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04