How to become a Meat Process Worker

Prepares meat and meat products by processing trimmed and boned carcasses and meat products by hand or with machinery.

Main tasks

• Operates machinery and equipment in a meat processing factory, such as grinders, slicers and tenderisers, to process cut and trimmed meat
• Processes meat, offal and tripe by adding ingredients such as spices and herbs, to make a variety of meat products
• Maintains cleanliness and hygiene standards in the meat processing area
• Moves processed meat and meat products into storage areas, and monitors and adjusts temperature and humidity levels in meat storage areas
• Adheres to quality control standards to ensure the production of high quality meat products

Ways in

• TAFE and VET: Certificate III in Meat Processing (AMP30622); Certificate III in Meat Processing (Boning Room) (AMP30116); Certificate III in Meat Processing (Food Services) (AMP30216); Certificate III in Meat Processing (Livestock Handling) (AMP31116); Certificate III in Meat Processing (Packing Operations) (AMP31216); Certificate III in Meat Processing (Rendering) (AMP30421); Certificate III in Meat Processing (Slaughtering) (AMP30516); Certificate III in Meat Processing (Smallgoods - Manufacture) (AMP31016)

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $64,688 a year
• About 13,600 people work in this job group now, and about 13,300 are projected by 2035. (-2%)
• 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

• Poultry Process Worker
• Seafood Process Worker
• Baking Factory Worker
• Brewery Worker
• Coffee Roaster
• Confectionery Maker

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Meat Process Worker?

Ways in include: Certificate III in Meat Processing; Certificate III in Meat Processing (Boning Room).

How much does a Meat Process Worker earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $64,688 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Meat Process Worker a growing career in Australia?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 13,600 people now and 13,300 later (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Meat Process Worker?

Usually not. Only 10% 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 (Boning Room).

Will AI change the work of a Meat Process 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