For the second consecutive year, the AIP has released the key findings from the 2022 Career & Salary Survey for the food and beverage industries.
According to AIP executive director Nerida Kelton, the AIP 2022 Career & Salary Survey report was developed in partnership with the IoPP, 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 covers Australia and New Zealand and all roles within the industries. The Australia and New Zealand report aligns with the same offering developed by the IoPP for the rest of the world.
“The 2022 Career & Salary report has some interesting findings and certainly highlights one of the key challenges that the industry has right now which is upskilling industry professionals in the science and technical side of all materials and pack formats,” Kelton said.
AIP education director, Prof. Pierre Pienaar added that the Career & Salary Report provides a summary of salary levels for packaging, but also gives a general indication of how well qualified those that are currently working in the packaging industry are. The data also indicates that although well qualified, i.e., post graduate degrees, they are not qualified in the science, engineering and/or technology in packaging.
“We need to see more of those working in the packaging industry, undertaking courses such as the Certificate in Packaging Technology, Diploma in Packaging Technology, the Fundamentals of Packaging Technology and the Master of Food & Packaging Innovation degree,” he said.
“Attaining these qualifications will go a long way in improving the overall knowledge and skillset in the industry, and to ensure that a technical knowledge void is filled with suitably qualified people.
“We need more packaging knowledge professionals and education helps us get exposure to new ideas and concepts that we can use to appreciate and improve the world around us, and the world within us.”
Some of the key findings include:
Industry/Products
• 46 per cent of the total respondents work in food followed by 13 per cent in the beverage industry
• 11 per cent indicated that they work in packaging materials
Job Function
• 30 per cent of the total respondents indicated that they work in Packaging Technology/Design
• This was followed by Marketing/Sales at 15.9 per cent and 11.2 per cent in Research & Development
Highest level of education
• 46 per cent of the total respondents have a Graduate Degree and 23 per cent have an Undergraduate Degree
• This is a continued indication that the industry is highly educated at degree level qualifications
Packaging-related degrees
• 21 per cent of the respondents have a Diploma in Packaging Technology, 10 per cent have completed the Master of Food & Packaging Innovation, 9 per cent have a Certificate in Packaging and 2 per cent have the Fundamentals of Packaging Technology certificate
• This is a positive sign that more packaging professionals are coming to the AIP to further their education
Experience
• 58 per cent 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
Satisfaction with job security
• 38 per cent of the total respondents are very secure with their job, while 33 per cent are ‘somewhat secure’
The complete 2022 AIP Career & Salary Survey report is available to AIP members and respondents of the survey.
An executive summary is available to the wider industry upon request.
The next AIP Salary Survey will be made available to complete in early 2023 and the AIP encourages all of industry to complete the survey to strengthen the results.
