Home / Occupation profile / Product Graders
Print Print

Product Graders

ANZSCO ID 839312

Find Vacancies Opens in a new window

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,700
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
60%
Female Share
67%
Average age
41
About this data

Summary

Product Graders grade primary produce by evaluating individual items or batches against established standards, and record these results.

Specialisations: Fruit and Vegetable Classer, Meat Grader, Milk and Cream Grader, Timber Grader.

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Product Grader.

Tasks

  • Studies product specifications and takes measurement to determine conformity to specifications.

  • Examines products for defects and grades produce.

  • Designates grading of produce and records details of assessment according to classification system.

Characteristics

Job Type
Labourers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
8393 Product Quality Controllers
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Product Quality Controllers, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 60% of people employed as Product Graders work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 6 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
39.7%
2
Manufacturing
23.1%
3
Wholesale Trade
8.7%
4
Administrative and Support Services
7.5%
5
Other industries
13.2%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

20.2% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

19.3% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

21.2% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

22.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

6.9% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.5% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.5% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Product Graders All Jobs Average
NSW 20.2 31.6
VIC 19.3 25.6
QLD 21.2 20.0
SA 22.0 7.0
WA 9.5 10.8
TAS 6.9 2.0
NT 0.5 1.0
ACT 0.5 1.9


  • Around 70% of Product Graders live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    South Australia and Tasmania have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
41
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
67%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Product Graders is 41 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 67% of the workforce. This is 19 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Product Graders All Jobs Average
15-19 4.5 5.0
20-24 12.0 9.3
25-34 22.9 22.9
35-44 16.2 22.0
45-54 21.8 21.6
55-59 10.0 9.0
60-64 7.8 6.0
65 and Over 4.8 4.2
Median Age 41 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as a Product Grader.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Product Graders All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 9.2 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 6.0 11.6
Certificate III/IV 16.5 21.1
Year 12 24.6 18.1
Year 11 9.2 4.8
Year 10 and below 32.3 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Product Quality Controllers who pay attention to detail, can communicate clearly and work well in a team.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 37%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 34%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 34%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 32%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 32%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 27%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 25%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 23%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 21%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 21%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 20%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 20%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 18%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 16%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 16%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 16%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 7%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 5%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 4%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 4%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 37%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 30%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 29%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 21%

    Food production

    Planting, growing, and harvesting food (both plant and animal), including storage and handling.

  • 19%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 19%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 19%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 18%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 17%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 14%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 13%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 13%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 12%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 10%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 8%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 7%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 6%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 5%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 5%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 4%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 43%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 41%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 41%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 38%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 36%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 36%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 36%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 34%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 34%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 34%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 34%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 32%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 32%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 32%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 32%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 27%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 25%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 25%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 23%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 23%

    Rate control

    Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 70%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 41%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 40%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 40%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 39%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 36%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 34%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 33%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 32%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 30%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 30%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 29%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 27%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 26%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 25%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 24%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 23%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 22%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 22%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 21%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 86%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 81%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 43%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 24%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 52%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 29%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 29%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 29%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 14%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 14%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 92%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 83%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 81%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 79%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 77%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 73%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 72%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 72%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 69%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 68%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 65%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 64%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 64%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 62%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 60%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 58%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 52%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

  • 52%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 50%

    Pace of work set by equipment

    Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.

  • 48%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 45-2041.00 - Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products.

Links and downloads

Back to top