Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary: $46,908 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 6,590 cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders nationally earn a mean of $46,908. Projections imply about 1.6% annual decline; CA accounts for about 260 jobs in our geographic extract.
Key Statistics
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders: what the data shows
Common questions about cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders?
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-9193.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 6,590 workers.
What does a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders make?
BLS national median annual wage: $40,160 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $46,908 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,314 |
| 25th percentile | $36,740 |
| Median (50th) | $41,644 |
| 75th percentile | $50,724 |
| 90th percentile | $68,022 |
What education do you need?
For Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, Troubleshooting, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language, Food Production. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -7.8%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -15.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 6,590.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenderss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 6,590 | 20.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 6,560 | 20.4% |
| Manufacturing | 5,540 | 17.2% |
| Food Manufacturing | 4,950 | 15.4% |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 2,470 | 7.7% |
| Dairy Product Manufacturing | 1,120 | 3.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Logging Equipment Operators | 22,520 | $49,210 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 30,940 | $42,580 |
| Helpers--Production Workers | 167,490 | $38,220 |
| Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 14,590 | $47,450 |
| Audiovisual Equipment Installers and Repairers | 22,170 | $50,620 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders workforce.
Employment Over Time
6,590 Workforce in 2023
The Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$46,908 Average Wage
In 2023, Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders earned an average of $46,908.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Salary distribution for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Employment Growth Projections
-1.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,493 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -7.8%
1,377 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -15.0%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Wage Trends by Industry
-1.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -11.0% growth (Current: $53,905)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 260 employees, $45,231 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 110 employees, $42,736 avg wage
- Modesto MSA: 50 employees, $47,010 avg wage
- Salinas MSA: 30 employees, $48,057 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 20 employees, $53,905 avg wage
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 20 employees, $40,341 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 20 employees, $49,862 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 10 employees, $38,474 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Diversity
Demographic information on Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in 2023 was 6,590 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders workers.
Education level distribution for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Skills
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving.
Required skills for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders include Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language, Food Production, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders include Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity, Deductive Reasoning, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Perceptual Speed.
Required abilities for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
Daily Activities
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information.
Most important work activities for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders.
About
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
The average yearly wage for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders was $46,908 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-9193 - Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders reports an average salary of $46,908.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 6,590 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -1.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.