Manufacturer

A Manufacturer manages the operations of a manufacturing facility or production line, overseeing the conversion of raw materials into finished goods. They are responsible for production planning, quality control, equipment maintenance, workforce management, and ensuring compliance with workplace health and safety standards and environmental regulations. They work across diverse sectors including food processing, textiles, chemicals, engineering, and assembly operations.

Plan production schedules and allocate resources to meet customer orders and demand forecasts. Monitor production output against key performance indicators such as throughput, cycle time, and defect rates. Implement and enforce quality assurance procedures including inspections and testing of raw materials and finished products. Conduct or supervise regular maintenance schedules for production equipment and machinery to minimise downtime. Manage inventory of raw materials and work-in-progress stock to optimise supply chain efficiency. Ensure compliance with relevant Australian workplace health and safety legislation including Safe Work Australia standards and notifiable event reporting. Supervise and train production staff, assign duties, and conduct performance reviews. Identify process improvements and efficiency gains, including adoption of lean manufacturing principles or automation opportunities.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll need a bachelor degree to get the role, which is a big investment if you don't have one. Pay is often lower than other management jobs because manufacturing margins are tight. You'll also be on-call for breakdowns and dealing with shift work or early starts. Automation may reduce some manufacturing roles over time.

Food processing and engineering plants cluster in regional areas near raw materials or ports. Remote work is minimal since you need to be on the factory floor.

• ERP and Inventory Systemscore
• Inventory Trackingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Process Improvement Identificationcore
• Purchase Order Processingcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Supplier Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Adhere to organisational guidelines
• Attention to Detail
• Freight Coordination
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Goods Receipt Processing
• Negotiation
• Process Documentation
• Report Writing
• Stock Counting and Stocktake
• Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Manufacturer workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026