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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $40,160 in the US and is projected to grow 7% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.56 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £28,243 a year for Food, drink and tobacco process operatives (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £24,471 to £33,889 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 8111). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Plant and machine operators and assemblers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 8. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Food Production
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders do?
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.
How much does Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders earn?
The median annual salary for Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders in the US is $40,160.
What is the job outlook for Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders?
The role is projected to grow 7% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 7,100 workers.
How do I become cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, Quality Control Analysis. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders?
Our AI-durability model gives Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders a score of 0.56 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.