How to become a Plastics Production Machine Operator

Operates extruding, cable making, compounding, reclamation, injection moulding and blow moulding machines to produce finished plastic products.

Main tasks

• Sets up and prepares machines ready for plastics production
• Sets injection moulding parameters to machinery, and places and aligns robots to prepare for robotic processes
• Operates controls to regulate temperature, pressure, speed and flow of plastics operation
• Measures and loads raw plastic materials, items and ingredients for mixing into machines and feeding mechanisms
• Threads uncoated wire and cable through plastic coating machines, around take-up reels, and through dies and cooling chambers
• Performs routine quality checks on products, such as dimensional checks, clarity of colour, and impact resistance
• Examines output for defects and conformity to specifications

Ways in

• TAFE and VET: Certificate III in Polymer Processing (PMB30121); Certificate IV in Polymer Technology (PMB40121); Advanced Diploma of Manufacturing Technology (MSA60108); Diploma of Manufacturing Technology (MSA50108); Diploma of Polymer Technology (PMB50121); Certificate II in Process Manufacturing (MSM20116); Certificate III in Process Manufacturing (MSM30116); Certificate IV in Process Manufacturing (MSM40116)

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $88,816 a year
• About 7,300 people work in this job group now, and about 7,700 are projected by 2035. (+5.1%)
• 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

• Reinforced Plastic and Composite Production Worker
• Plastics Fabricator or Welder
• Rubber Production Machine Operator

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Plastics Production Machine Operator?

Ways in include: Certificate III in Polymer Processing; Certificate IV in Polymer Technology.

How much does a Plastics Production Machine Operator earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $88,816 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Plastics Production Machine Operator a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 7,300 to about 7,700 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Plastics Production Machine Operator?

Usually not. Only 9% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Certificate III in Polymer Processing; Certificate IV in Polymer Technology.

Will AI change the work of a Plastics Production Machine Operator?

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