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Certificate III · national qualification

Certificate III in Meat Processing (Retail Butcher)

This is the trade qualification for retail butchers, covering the whole job from breaking a carcase down to serving the customer who buys the meat.

Compare 10 providers
Illustration of a person working as butcher
How long it takes
2.5 to 3 years
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $2,190
Subsidised at TAFE NSW, full fee up to $12,760
How you can study
On campus or on the job
Main job
Butcher
$80,600 median pay, In demand
Taught by
10 providers
Every state and territory

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate III in Meat Processing (Retail Butcher) asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in working with meat and food
  • good hand skills and care with knives and equipment
  • a friendly approach to serving and advising customers
  • a careful attitude to hygiene and safe work

Before you start

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

Certificate III or other qualifications?

No related qualifications at other levels are listed for this qualification, so no comparison is available.

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

  • Butcher

    Butchers cut, prepare and sell meat, turning whole carcases into the cuts customers take home or cook with.

    What else you need

    This is the trade qualification for retail butchers and is usually completed as an apprenticeship with an employer. Check the provider's campus page for apprenticeship requirements and confirm the provider is approved to deliver it. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.

    Median pay$80,600

    In demand

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $2,190

at TAFE NSW. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$12,760

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • TAFE NSWNSW

    Subsidised
    $2,190
    Concession
    $240
    Full fee
    $12,760
    How long
    2.5 to 3 years

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 10 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

44 units: 37 that everyone takes and 7 you choose.

  • Identifying meat cuts
  • Breaking carcases with a bandsaw
  • Making mince and sausages
  • Food hygiene and HACCP
  • Sharpening and maintaining knives
  • Serving and advising customers
See all 37 core units

Core units

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

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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?

This is the trade qualification for retail butchers. It prepares you for the whole job, from breaking a carcase down to serving the customer, including cutting, mincing, sausage making, packing and labelling, hygiene, HACCP, and customer advice. Roles it leads to include Butcher and Sommelier.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

There are no entry requirements for this qualification. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

How is it different from other qualifications?

No related qualifications at other levels are listed for this qualification, so no comparison is available.

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.