Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders salary by state
What Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenderss do
Typical education: Less than a High School Diploma
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.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlCritical ThinkingMonitoringComplex Problem SolvingTroubleshooting
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders pay by experience level
Entry level$34,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$37,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$43,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$51,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$64,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+7.2%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
800
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders salary by industry
Food Manufacturing
5,430 workers
$45,500
Animal Slaughtering and Processing
2,920 workers
$44,000
Dairy Product Manufacturing
1,050 workers
$52,500
Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing
670 workers
$45,000
Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing
470 workers
$46,000
Beverage Manufacturing
470 workers
$46,000
Other Food Manufacturing
400 workers
$40,000
Warehousing and Storage
270 workers
$49,000
Warehousing and Storage
270 workers
$49,000
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods
220 workers
$44,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders pays 17% below the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).
