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Certificate III · national qualification

Certificate III in Aquaculture

This qualification prepares you to work on the water or in a tank room, looking after farmed fish, shellfish and other aquatic stock.

Compare 7 providers
Illustration of a person working as aquaculture Worker
How long it takes
1 to 2 years
typical for this level
How you can study
On campus
Main job
Aquaculture Worker
$65,000 (estimate) median pay, In demand
Taught by
7 providers
5 states and territories

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate III in Aquaculture asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in caring for fish and aquatic stock
  • a willingness to work outdoors on the water
  • good attention to detail when checking water quality
  • an understanding of safe work practices

Before you start

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

Certificate III or Diploma?

The Diploma of Aquaculture is a higher level qualification. This Certificate III reflects the role of aquaculture attendants or technicians who handle stock, maintain water quality and monitor conditions.

See the course

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Aquaculture Worker

    Aquaculture workers breed, feed and harvest fish, shellfish and seaweed on farms in coastal and inland waters.

    What else you need

    Aquatic-stock care and monitoring. Diving, vessel operation and licensed elective activities require their own authorisations.

    Median pay$65,000 (estimate)

    In demand

If you study further

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

Where you can study this course

There are 7 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

16 units: 3 that everyone takes and 13 you choose.

  • Feeding and handling aquatic stock
  • Water quality and monitoring
  • Recognising signs of disease
  • Workplace health and safety
  • Working in the seafood industry
  • Biosecurity and environmental compliance
See all 3 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for SFIBIO301…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It prepares you to work as an aquaculture attendant or technician, caring for aquatic stock on farms, at hatcheries, or in aquarium and live holding facilities. You handle stock, maintain water quality and monitor conditions, and may perform dives or vessel operations.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

The qualification itself has no entry requirements. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

How is it different from the Diploma of Aquaculture?

The Diploma of Aquaculture is a higher level qualification. This Certificate III reflects the role of aquaculture attendants or technicians who handle stock, maintain water quality and monitor conditions.

How is it different from the Certificate II in Aquaculture?

The Certificate III in Aquaculture is the higher level qualification. It prepares you to work as an aquaculture attendant or technician, handling stock, maintaining water quality and monitoring conditions.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.