2025 AIP Career & Salary Survey report now available for AIP Members: Request your copy today
For the fifth consecutive year the AIP has released the key findings from the 2025 Career & Salary Survey for the Food, Beverage and wider industries.
According to AIP Executive Director, Nerida Kelton FAIP, the Australasian Career & Salary Survey report was developed to provide a more detailed breakdown of the people who make up the industry including their roles, education, experience, career satisfaction, concerns and salaries. The survey and results cover the industry across Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
“The 2025 Career & Salary report provides not only salaries, and career-related data, but it also highlights the growing level of technical packaging professionals within the industry. Now more than ever, with Extended Producer Responsibility and eco-modulation coming to the Australasian region we need to see more technically skilled packaging professionals in the industry. Packaging Technologists and Engineers need to have the technical qualifications to ensure that the packaging materials, designs and choices being made are fit for purpose, functional and offer the lowest environmental impact. This is where the AIP can help train packaging manufacturers, suppliers, brands and retailers to have the most technically-competent teams in readiness for the next era of packaging design.” Mrs Kelton said.
AIP Education Director, Prof Pierre Pienaar FAIP, CCPL added that ‘If you are growing your team, or simply need to retain the talent you have, then the AIP Career & Salary Report provides the insights to ensure that you have the most qualified team in place to keep your business moving in the right direction,”
“The 2025 Career & Salary Survey once again shows how well qualified the people are that work in our industry. Whilst the industry is very-well skilled, we still need to see more people technically qualified in the science, engineering and/or technology of packaging. Packaging is a science, and anyone that is a Packaging Technologist of engineer requires formal qualifications in the field,” Prof Pierre Pienaar said.
“The AIP is here to fill technical packaging knowledge gaps for everyone that works in, and around packaging. Knowledge can be attained through our training courses, workshops, forums, webinars, the Fundamentals of Packaging Technology course, Certificate in Packaging Technology, Diploma in Packaging Technology, the Master of Food & Packaging Innovation degree and the Certified Packaging Professional designation. The more packaging professionals in the Australasian region that undertake education and training through the AIP, the more informed and technically-sound packaging decisions will be made, for the overall betterment of the company and the industry. ” he said.
Just some of the Key Findings: Executive Summary
Technical Qualifications: Do you have any of the following packaging-related degrees?
• 15% of the respondents have a Diploma in Packaging Technology, 7% have the Certificate in Packaging, 5% have completed the Fundamentals of Packaging Technology, and 5% have completed the Master of Food & Packaging Innovation.
Education: What is your highest level of education?
• 53% of the total respondents have a Graduate Degree and 36% have an Undergraduate Degree. This is a continued indication that the industry is highly educated with degree level qualifications.
Experience
• 33% of the total respondents have more than 20 years’ experience in the packaging industry. This is an indication of longevity in the industry and stable careers.
Job Function
• 29.94% of the total respondents indicated that they work in Packaging Technology/Design. This was followed by Research & Development at 12.74%, and then 12.10% in Corporate Management.
Satisfaction with Job Security
• 38% of the total respondents feel very secure with their job, while 34% feel somewhat secure.
Industry Category
• 50% of the total respondents work in the Food Industry and 14% indicated that they work in Packaging Materials.
AIP Members can access the full 2025 AIP Career & Salary Survey report by emailing info@aipack.com.au with their request for a copy.
An executive summary is available to the wider industry below.
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The 2026 AIP Salary Survey is now open : deadline 18 September
The AIP is pleased to advise that the 2026 Salary & Career Survey is now open for the Australasian Region; Australia, New Zealand and Asia. The annual survey and findings report has been developed in partnership with sister-association the IoPP. This year’s Salary Survey – the only survey in the Australasian Region dedicated exclusively to benchmarking salaries and employment trends within the packaging industry – will provide a clear look into roles, experience, education, career satisfaction, challenges and salaries of packaging professionals. The AIP is seeking input from packaging professionals to ensure that we can develop a definitive resource for our industry for the region. With just a few minutes of your time, your thoughtful responses to the survey’s open-ended questions, will contribute to this important industry staple.
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Those who complete the confidential survey, (including non-members), will receive the final 2026 full report from the AIP for free. The deadline to complete this survey is Friday 18th of September, 2026.
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Thank you in advance for your valuable input and we look forward to the results. Please extend this invitation to all of your colleagues across the region.
To complete the confidential survey please click here…
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