Product Grader

A Product Grader inspects and sorts manufactured or agricultural products according to quality standards, size specifications, and aesthetic criteria in production or processing facilities. They use visual assessment, measuring instruments, and standardised grading systems to classify items for market distribution, rejection, or rework. The role ensures only products meeting customer and regulatory specifications leave the facility.

Inspect products visually for defects, damage, discolouration, or surface irregularities against quality standards. Measure product dimensions using calipers, rulers, or digital gauges to verify conformance to specification tolerances. Sort and grade products into categories (premium, standard, cull, reject) using established grading criteria. Operate conveyor systems, sorting machines, or grading equipment to direct products to appropriate output bins or chutes. Record grading results and product counts on production sheets or digital systems to track batch quality and yield. Identify and separate non-conforming products for rework, downgrading, or disposal according to facility procedures. Apply product labels, stamps, or tags indicating grade, batch number, or destination as required. Clean and maintain grading workstations, equipment, and tools to prevent contamination and ensure safe working conditions.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). 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.

The work is repetitive and physically demanding, with your eyes doing the same inspection task for 8-hour shifts, which causes fatigue and mistakes. Pay caps out early because there's limited progression beyond this role without management training. Automation is replacing graders in many facilities, especially in large-scale food and manufacturing operations.

Some regional opportunities exist in agricultural processing towns. Remote work isn't possible for this hands-on role.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 8393, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Basic Arithmetic and Numerical Accuracycore
• Data Entry and Accuracycore
• Goods Receipt Processingcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Inventory Trackingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Stock Counting and Stocktakecore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Conduct performance tests
• ERP and Inventory Systems
• Problem Solving
• Process Improvement Identification
• Record Management
• Risk Identification
• Verbal Communication
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• 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.

Last updated: 30 October 2026