Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders: Career Overview
Operate or tend equipment such as cooling and freezing units, refrigerators, batch freezers, and freezing tunnels, to cool or freeze products, food, blood plasma, and chemicals.
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What Tasks Do Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Take On?
The core tasks performed by cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders include:
- Record temperatures, amounts of materials processed, or test results on report forms.
- Monitor pressure gauges, ammeters, flowmeters, thermometers, or products, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions, such as feed rate, product consistency, temperature, air pressure, and machine speed.
- Read dials and gauges on panel control boards to ascertain temperatures, alkalinities, and densities of mixtures, and turn valves to obtain specified mixtures.
- Start machinery, such as pumps, feeders, or conveyors, and turn valves to heat, admit, or transfer products, refrigerants, or mixes.
- Correct machinery malfunctions by performing actions such as removing jams, and inform supervisors of malfunctions as necessary.
- Assemble equipment, and attach pipes, fittings, or valves, using hand tools.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Ammonia Refrigeration Worker
- Batch Freezer
- Batch Freezer Operator
- Brewery Cellar Worker
- Brewery Worker
- Cellar Person
- Certified Refrigeration Operator
- Chiller Operator
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 620,076 cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +2.4% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $62,214 |
| Hourly median | $29.91 |
| 10th percentile | $39,646 |
| 25th percentile | $50,930 |
| 75th percentile | $73,498 |
| 90th percentile | $84,782 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Illinois | $58,200 |
| Michigan | $54,360 |
| Kansas | $51,640 |
| Florida | $50,960 |
| New Jersey | $50,790 |
| Iowa | $48,880 |
| Washington | $47,950 |
| Maryland | $47,940 |
| Missouri | $47,780 |
| Colorado | $47,440 |
| Nebraska | $46,810 |
| New York | $44,490 |
| South Dakota | $44,090 |
| Georgia | $43,720 |
| Minnesota | $43,520 |
| Indiana | $42,800 |
| Ohio | $42,470 |
| Nevada | $42,390 |
| Massachusetts | $41,560 |
| California | $40,590 |
| Connecticut | $40,290 |
| Kentucky | $39,550 |
| Oklahoma | $39,060 |
| Oregon | $38,770 |
| South Carolina | $38,740 |
| Virginia | $38,460 |
| Hawaii | $37,820 |
| North Carolina | $37,660 |
| Alabama | $37,220 |
| Tennessee | $37,160 |
| Mississippi | $37,030 |
| Arkansas | $36,380 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,460 |
| Texas | $34,970 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Lakes | $48,999 | 9.8% | 0.84 |
| Plains States | $48,175 | 16.7% | 2.78 |
| Rocky Mountains | $47,440 | 1.1% | 0.50 |
| Middle Atlantic | $46,460 | 5.6% | 0.46 |
| Far Western US | $40,794 | 15.2% | 1.01 |
| New England | $40,680 | 2.4% | 0.95 |
| Southeast | $39,282 | 40.7% | 3.36 |
| Southwest | $36,125 | 8.5% | 0.89 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | TX | $63,780 | 40 |
| Lancaster, PA | PA | $52,660 | 50 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $49,880 | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | MO | $49,010 | 100 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $47,940 | 60 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | IA | $47,020 | 70 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $45,760 | 170 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | NV | $42,390 | 30 |
Top Industries Employing Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
The largest employers of cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 5,540 | $39,780 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 430 | $43,930 |
| Wholesale Trade | 240 | $45,370 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 130 | $37,950 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 60 | n/a |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 50 | $47,340 |
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Standing
Education and Training
Entry-level cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
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- Food Batchmakers (Primary-Long)
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- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
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About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-9193.00 (Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders).
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