OSCA 322231

Butcher or Smallgoods Maker

Overview

  • Employed persons

    13,900

  • Employment status

    78.8% Full time

    21.2% Part time

  • Median age

    40 years

  • Employment by sex

    7.8% Female

    92.2% Male

    Almost completely male dominated

  • Indigenous employment share

    3.5%

  • Main employing industry

    Retail Trade

Indicator Butcher or Smallgoods Maker Total employment
Employed persons 13,900 12,049,400
Median age 40 years 40 years
Full-time share 78.8% 64.2%
Part-time share 21.2% 35.8%
Female employment share 7.8% 48.5%
Male employment share 92.2% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Almost completely male dominated Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 3.5% 2.2%
Main employing industry Retail Trade Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Butcher or Smallgoods Makers select, cut, trim, prepare and arrange meat for sale or supply, operate meat or smallgoods processing machines, or manage the processes in the production of smallgoods.

What the occupation involves

  • Selects and inspects meat to ensure quality and freshness
  • Cuts, trims and prepares meat according to customer requirements
  • Operates meat processing machines such as slicers, grinders and tenderisers
  • Weighs, labels and packages meat products for sale or supply
  • Maintains cleanliness and hygiene standards in meat preparation and display areas
  • Manages inventory and orders meat supplies as needed
  • Creates and maintains attractive displays of meat products
  • Assists customers to select and purchase meat products
  • Prepares and produces smallgoods such as sausages, bacon and ham
  • Monitors the smallgoods production process to ensure quality, hygiene and efficiency

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 3
equivalent to a mid-level Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification (Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least 2 years’ on-the-job training).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

No licensing or registration requirements are listed for this occupation.

OSCA structure

Technicians and Trades Workers (3)

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Butcher or Smallgoods Maker Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Retail Trade 79.3% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Manufacturing 11.8% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Wholesale Trade 4.6% Construction 8.9%
    Accommodation and Food Services 0.7% Education and Training 8.8%
    Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 0.7% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.1% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Education and Training 0.1% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Arts and Recreation Services <0.1% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Construction <0.1% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Professional, Scientific and Technical Services <0.1% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      29.5%

    • Victoria

      24.5%

    • Queensland

      23.2%

    • South Australia

      8.7%

    • Tasmania

      2.5%

    • Northern Territory

      0.8%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.1%

    Butcher or Smallgoods Maker Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 4,100 29.5% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 3,400 24.5% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 3,200 23.2% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 1,200 8.7% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 1,300 9.7% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 350 2.5% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 110 0.8% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 150 1.1% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Butcher or Smallgoods Maker

    Total employment

    Age group Butcher or Smallgoods Maker Total employment
    15–24 years 18.1% 14.3%
    25–34 years 21.3% 22.7%
    35–44 years 19.5% 22.3%
    45–54 years 19.8% 20.4%
    55–64 years 16.3% 15.3%
    65–74 years 4.4% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.6% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Butcher or Smallgoods Maker Total employment
    Female 7.8% 48.5%
    Male 92.2% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

      Download

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

      Find out more

      What is OSCA   OSCA content updates