Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Freezer Operator
- Freezer Person
- Refrigeration Operator
- Refrigeration Technician
Alternate Job Titles
- Ammonia Refrigeration Worker
- Batch Freezer
- Batch Freezer Operator
- Brewery Cellar Worker
- Brewery Worker
- Cellar Person
- Certified Refrigeration Operator
- Chiller Operator
- Chiller Tender
- Chilling Hood Operator
- Compressor Operator
- Cooler
- Cooler Case Picker
- Cooler Operator
- Cooler Tender
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Production and Processing
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Critical Thinking
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Perceptual Speed
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Reaction Time
- Manual Dexterity
- Finger Dexterity
- Control Precision
- Static Strength
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Independence
- Relationships
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Less than a High School Diploma
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: 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.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Air compressors
- Air purifying respirators
- Air-cooled condensers
- Ammonia detectors
- Ammonia pressure gauges
- Auto-purgers
- Back-pressure regulators
- Batch freezers
- Belt freezers
- Blast tunnel freezers
- Boiler generators
- Compound gauges
- Decontamination shower stations
- Defrost relief valves
- Depth gauges
Work Environment
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Spend Time Standing
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $33,710 |
| Median | $40,160 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $62,760 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 6,590
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If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.