How to become a Meat Packer
Weighs, wraps, seals and labels meat and meat products.
Main tasks
- Weighs meat and meat products to ensure accurate packaging
- Wraps and seals meat and meat products using appropriate packaging materials
- Labels packaged meat and meat products with accurate information, such as dates, times and batch numbers
- Inspects packaged meat and meat products for quality and freshness in preparation for sale
- Assists in inventory management by counting packaged products, and placing products onto trays and racks and shipping cartons
- Maintains cleanliness and hygiene standards in the packaging area
- May operate packaging machinery and equipment, or package meat and meat products by hand
Ways in
- TAFE and VET: Certificate III in Meat Processing (AMP30622); Certificate III in Meat Processing (Food Services) (AMP30216); Certificate III in Meat Processing (Packing Operations) (AMP31216); Certificate III in Meat Processing (Smallgoods - Manufacture) (AMP31016); Certificate II in Meat Processing (Abattoirs) (AMP20316); Certificate II in Meat Processing (Food Services) (AMP20117)
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Typical full-time pay: $71,032 a year
- About 59,600 people work in this job group now, and about 61,200 are projected by 2035. (+2.6%)
- 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.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Meat Packer?
Ways in include: Certificate III in Meat Processing; Certificate III in Meat Processing (Food Services).
How much does a Meat Packer earn in Australia?
Median full-time pay is $71,032 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Is a Meat Packer a growing career in Australia?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 59,600 to about 61,200 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).
Do you need a degree to become a Meat Packer?
Usually not. Only 14% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate III in Meat Processing; Certificate III in Meat Processing (Food Services).
Will AI change the work of a Meat Packer?
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