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.

What you'd actually do

• 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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; much of the day is spent working solo. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 3.7% of cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

Related careers

• Tool and Die Makers
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
• First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
• Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
• Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
• Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers

Quick questions

How much does a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender make?

The median pay is $19.87 per hour — roughly $41,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.07/hr (10th percentile) to $29.97/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender actually do all day?

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.