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Supply Chain & ProductionGrowingBright Outlook

Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operator and Tender

Operational-level

Also known as: Ammonia Refrigeration Worker, Batch Freezer, Batch Freezer Operator, Brewery Cellar Worker

Supply Chain & ProductionBachelor's Degree

Job Description

As a Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operator, you'll manage machinery like refrigerators, batch freezers, and freezing tunnels. Your main task is to cool or freeze various items, including food, blood plasma, and chemicals, ensuring processes run smoothly. You'll work indoors in an environmentally controlled setting, often standing and wearing safety gear like shoes, glasses, and gloves. Collaboration is key, as you'll have face-to-face discussions with your team. This role suits someone observant, detail-oriented, and good at monitoring equipment and processes.
Refrigeration TechnologyFood ProcessingCold Chain ManagementIndustrial Equipment OperationManufacturingSupply ChainOperations ManagementSkilled TradeProduction

A Day in the Life

You clock in at 6 AM, the faint hum of machinery already a low thrum in the air. First, you pull on your steel-toed safety boots, safety glasses, and sturdy work gloves. You head to the main control room, a bright, environmentally controlled space, and scan the digital log from the night shift. No major issues reported. You grab your clipboard, ready to begin your rounds, the smell of cooked chicken wafting from a nearby processing line in this Omaha food plant.

Skills employers are looking for in 2027

Software and technologies flagged by O*NET as Hot or In-Demand for this role.

Job Outlook 2025-2035

Bright Outlook

O*NET flags this career as a Bright Outlook occupation: grows rapidly over the next decade.

Projected growth

+5.9%

US average: +3.5%

Job openings

800

per year (US)

Jobs today

7,700

in 2025 → 8,100 (2035)

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections; O*NET Bright Outlook.

Work Environment

How this work is typically performed, based on O*NET work context data.

Email & digital communication
Low
Working in a team
High
Contact with others
High
Freedom to make decisions
High
Time pressure
High
Time spent sitting
Moderate
Working outdoors
Moderate
Indoor, climate-controlled
High
Dealing with customers
Low
Level of competition
Moderate

Source: O*NET Work Context (v31.0)

Future Perspective

Growing Job Market

This career is experiencing growth, with about 800 job openings projected each year through 2035 and a positive outlook for rapid expansion. The median annual wage for this role is around $41,330. A high school diploma is typically the required education for entry, offering good opportunities to advance within the field.

Career ladder

Often before this role

  • Production Assistant
  • Warehouse Worker
  • Manufacturing Laborer

Where it can lead

  • Production Supervisor
  • Quality Control Inspector
  • Equipment Maintenance Technician

Impact of AI on this Job

AI will likely automate routine monitoring, data analysis, and predictive maintenance for cooling and freezing equipment, reducing the need for constant manual adjustments and basic troubleshooting. Operators will increasingly shift towards overseeing AI-driven systems, managing complex repairs, and interpreting advanced diagnostics, requiring an evolution in their skill set towards data interpretation and system management.