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Occupations / Meat Boners And Slicers, And Slaughterers

Meat Boners and Slicers, and Slaughterers

Meat Boners and Slicers, and Slaughterers trim and cut meat from bones, sides and carcasses, and slaughter livestock in abattoirs.

ManufacturingANZSCO 8312
$1,627/wkMedian full-time pay
7,497People employed
−3%Growth to 2035
95%Work full time
38Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 8312.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

operating switching controls to direct and drop carcasses and meat cuts from supply rails to boning tablescutting meat to separate meat, fat and tissue from around boneswashing, scraping and trimming foreign material and blood from meatcutting sides and quarters of meat into standard meat cuts, such as rumps, flanks and shoulders, and removing internal fat, blood clots, bruises and other matter to prepare them for packing and marketingoperating restrainer and stunning equipmentsevering jugular veins of stunned animals to drain blood and facilitate dressing
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 8312 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

7,500 people do this work today

Employment is projected to go from 5,600 in 2025 to 5,400 by 2035, about 200 fewer people.

Most of the jobs are in QLD and VIC, with WA third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 8312.More about our sources: How we check our facts
5.6k2025
5.3k2030 PROJ.
5.4k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

There is no single way in. 21% trained through VET, 7% hold a degree.

Both paths are common in this field. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 8312. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

AMP30516Certificate III

Certificate III in Meat Processing (Slaughtering)

Australian Meat Processing Training Package.

See 11 providers
AMP30116Certificate III

Certificate III in Meat Processing (Boning Room)

Australian Meat Processing Training Package.

See 10 providers
AMP31116Certificate III

Certificate III in Meat Processing (Livestock Handling)

Australian Meat Processing Training Package.

See 4 providers

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

7,497 Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

Each link opens seek.com.au in a new tab, showing ads posted in the last month. SEEK is a job site; we link there because that is where most Australian jobs are advertised. We have no commercial relationship with SEEK.

Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 8312.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

QLD3k
VIC2.1k
WA1k
SA0.5k
NSW0.3k
TAS0.3k
ACT0.1k
NT0.1k