Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
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.
Also called: Ammonia Refrigeration Worker, Batch Freezer, Batch Freezer Operator, Brewery Cellar Worker, Brewery Worker, Cellar Person
Median pay
$41,330
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$33,430 – $62,340
People employed
6,900
Holland code
RCI
Realistic · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Would you rather not deal with customers or the public?
- 2.Are you OK with physical risk, such as hazardous equipment or conditions, with proper training?
- 3.Are you happy working mostly on your own, with little contact with others?
- 4.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
The hard parts
- Long hours on your feet
- Tight deadlines are common
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders pay by state
Annual median pay by state (34 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders salary in every state →
What cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders do
- 01Record temperatures, amounts of materials processed, or test results on report forms.
- 02Monitor 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.
- 03Read dials and gauges on panel control boards to ascertain temperatures, alkalinities, and densities of mixtures, and turn valves to obtain specified mixtures.
- 04Measure or weigh specified amounts of ingredients or materials, and load them into tanks, vats, hoppers, or other equipment.
- 05Adjust machine or freezer speed and air intake to obtain desired consistency and amount of product.
- 06Start machinery, such as pumps, feeders, or conveyors, and turn valves to heat, admit, or transfer products, refrigerants, or mixes.
Skills that matter most
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
Knowledge
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Food Production
- Administration and Management
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: over 1 month, up to and including 3 months.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic92% · +18%
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders87% · +8%
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders86% · +32%
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic85% · +7%
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators85% · +87%
Change into cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders85% · $41,590
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic85% · $48,750
- Food Batchmakers84% · $42,290
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders84% · $44,810
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic81% · $44,350