51
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders is a notable career in the 51 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 51-9193 |
| title | Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders |
| onet code | 51-9193.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 51 |
| tot emp | 6,590 |
| a mean | 44,290 |
| a median | 40,160 |
| a pct10 | 33,710 |
| a pct25 | 36,150 |
| a pct75 | 49,150 |
| a pct90 | 62,760 |
| h mean | 21 |
| h median | 19 |
The day-to-day work of a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders typically centers on record temperatures, amounts of materials processed, or test results on report forms. 6 of these 8 tasks are Core O*NET duties; the remainder are common supplemental work. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, and Critical Thinking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.39 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders, the most common entry qualification is a Less than a High School Diploma (51.4%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Illinois at $58,200 and lowest in Texas at $34,970 — a 1.7× spread. The top five states (Illinois, Michigan, Kansas, Florida, New Jersey) average $53,190. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $58,200 | $55,010 | $44,760 | $63,920 | 60 |
| Michigan | $54,360 | $50,160 | $37,790 | $64,280 | 210 |
| Kansas | $51,640 | $57,930 | $45,320 | $71,670 | 140 |
| Florida | $50,960 | $49,080 | $35,610 | $60,110 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $50,790 | $54,840 | $49,890 | $63,790 | 50 |
| Iowa | $48,880 | $57,960 | $40,390 | $80,070 | 250 |
| Washington | $47,950 | $48,540 | $38,260 | $53,030 | 60 |
| Maryland | $47,940 | $49,510 | $38,480 | $61,070 | 80 |
| Missouri | $47,780 | $46,930 | $37,320 | $58,100 | 340 |
| Colorado | $47,440 | $50,250 | $39,780 | $70,120 | 60 |
| Nebraska | $46,810 | $51,560 | $41,480 | $67,770 | 70 |
| New York | $44,490 | $48,980 | $38,180 | $66,880 | 170 |
| South Dakota | $44,090 | $42,270 | $36,560 | $46,510 | 60 |
| Georgia | $43,720 | $45,100 | $34,490 | $57,620 | 460 |
| Minnesota | $43,520 | $45,760 | $38,000 | $53,790 | 40 |
| Indiana | $42,800 | $45,830 | $32,180 | $64,660 | 60 |
| Ohio | $42,470 | $43,260 | $34,320 | $55,950 | 200 |
| Nevada | $42,390 | $42,450 | $35,980 | $53,310 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $41,560 | $50,890 | $33,900 | $74,020 | 40 |
| California | $40,590 | $45,720 | $34,420 | $66,300 | 550 |
| Connecticut | $40,290 | $40,540 | $35,590 | $47,020 | 90 |
| Kentucky | $39,550 | $40,560 | $39,550 | $40,000 | 70 |
| Oklahoma | $39,060 | $41,660 | $36,100 | $54,320 | 130 |
| Oregon | $38,770 | $42,330 | $31,420 | $58,260 | 180 |
| South Carolina | $38,740 | $40,740 | $32,790 | $58,600 | 100 |
| Virginia | $38,460 | $40,480 | $32,610 | $50,160 | 140 |
| Hawaii | $37,820 | $37,960 | $34,580 | $44,780 | — |
| North Carolina | $37,660 | $41,180 | $34,310 | $61,370 | 390 |
| Alabama | $37,220 | $42,030 | $34,710 | $72,800 | 170 |
| Tennessee | $37,160 | $41,770 | $36,090 | $55,650 | 60 |
| Mississippi | $37,030 | $36,730 | $24,960 | $48,090 | 400 |
| Arkansas | $36,380 | $39,540 | $33,560 | $63,680 | 320 |
| Pennsylvania | $35,460 | $39,310 | $32,950 | $49,150 | — |
| Texas | $34,970 | $43,180 | $29,180 | $68,350 | 330 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Ammonia Refrigeration Worker or Batch Freezer frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders compares to others in the 51 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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