How to become a Fruit and Vegetable Factory Worker
Operates machines and performs routine tasks to prepare canned and frozen fruit and vegetables, and make and package sauces, jams and juices.
Main tasks
- Operates heating, chilling, pasteurising, carbonating and sulphuring equipment to prepare canned and frozen fruits and vegetables
- Peels, cores, chops, pits and juices fruit and vegetables
- Inspects and removes damaged produce
- Prepares sauces, jams and juices
- Cleans equipment, including pumps, hoses, storage tanks and machinery
- Packages finished products with proper labelling
Ways in
- TAFE and VET: Certificate III in Food Processing (FBP30121); Certificate III in Production Horticulture (AHC30624); Certificate IV in Agribusiness (AHC41024); Certificate II in Food Processing (FBP20122); Certificate II in Production Horticulture (AHC20324); Certificate IV in Food Processing (FBP40321); Certificate IV in Food Science and Technology (FBP40421); 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
- Dairy Products Factory Worker
- Grain Mill Worker
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Fruit and Vegetable Factory Worker?
Ways in include: Certificate III in Food Processing; Certificate III in Production Horticulture.
How much does a Fruit and Vegetable Factory Worker earn in Australia?
Median full-time pay is $85,644 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Is a Fruit and Vegetable 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 Fruit and Vegetable Factory Worker?
Usually not. Only 11% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate III in Food Processing; Certificate III in Production Horticulture.
Will AI change the work of a Fruit and Vegetable 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