How to become a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender

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.

Steps to get there

Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

What cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders 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.
• Assemble equipment, and attach pipes, fittings, or valves, using hand tools.
• Correct machinery malfunctions by performing actions such as removing jams, and inform supervisors of malfunctions as necessary.

Skills that matter most

• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Speaking
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Active Learning
• Writing
• Learning Strategies

Is cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender a good career?

On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 19% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• Nebraska $68,170
• Iowa $62,520
• Indiana $55,730
• Missouri $53,940
• New Jersey $51,460

Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.