Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders pay in the U.S.
$44,940avg. a year
$21.61 an hour · 6,900 employed
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in the U.S. earn an average of $44,940 a year and a median of $41,330. Pay is highest in Iowa ($63,740) and lowest in Alabama ($35,600).
$41,330Median pay
$21.61Average hourly
+13%Avg. pay since 2020
6,900Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1290 jobs
Iowa
$63,740
$30.65 an hour
260 jobs
Nebraska
$59,890
$28.79 an hour
350 jobs
Indiana
$56,950
$27.38 an hour
460 jobs
Illinois
$56,220
$27.03 an hour
5100 jobs
New Jersey
$55,330
$26.60 an hour
690 jobs
Idaho
$53,570
$25.76 an hour
7240 jobs
Ohio
$51,780
$24.90 an hour
860 jobs
Washington
$51,240
$24.64 an hour
9200 jobs
Missouri
$50,980
$24.51 an hour
10100 jobs
Wisconsin
$50,510
$24.28 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $41k$41k–$45k$45k–$51k$51k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $56,430 | $27.13 |
| Gainesville, GA | $49,020 | $23.57 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $46,580 | $22.39 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $40,050 | $19.26 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $39,490 | $18.99 |
Related jobs
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$53,450
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$44,590
- Production Workers, All Other$44,380
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$54,320
- Helpers--Production Workers$41,120
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$52,620
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,600 | $35,280 | 280 |
| Arkansas | $40,730 | $38,090 | 270 |
| California | $46,700 | $42,100 | 310 |
| Colorado | $48,060 | $46,160 | 130 |
| Connecticut | $41,370 | $41,080 | 70 |
| Florida | $46,690 | $45,270 | 130 |
| Georgia | $45,770 | $46,770 | 540 |
| Hawaii | $39,470 | $37,990 | 110 |
| Idaho | $53,570 | $48,360 | 90 |
| Illinois | $56,220 | $49,200 | 60 |
| Indiana | $56,950 | $55,730 | 50 |
| Iowa | $63,740 | $62,520 | 290 |
| Kentucky | $41,330 | $40,840 | 70 |
| Massachusetts | $45,440 | $46,800 | – |
| Michigan | $37,150 | $31,700 | 290 |
| Minnesota | $49,930 | $46,910 | 100 |
| Mississippi | $36,190 | $38,200 | 360 |
| Missouri | $50,980 | $53,940 | 200 |
| Nebraska | $59,890 | $68,170 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $55,330 | $51,460 | 100 |
| New York | $49,990 | $45,460 | 160 |
| North Carolina | $41,910 | $39,030 | 420 |
| Ohio | $51,780 | $48,160 | 240 |
| Oklahoma | $43,530 | $39,630 | 130 |
| Oregon | $44,200 | $40,030 | 120 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,250 | $39,360 | 760 |
| South Carolina | $42,250 | $39,640 | 60 |
| South Dakota | $44,430 | $45,520 | 80 |
| Tennessee | $39,170 | $37,780 | 50 |
| Texas | $39,310 | $35,810 | 510 |
| Utah | $39,980 | $45,500 | 70 |
| Virginia | $37,990 | $35,370 | 170 |
| Washington | $51,240 | $50,870 | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $50,510 | $47,060 | 100 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Pittsburgh, PA
$39,490
160 jobsGainesville, GA
$49,020
140 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$46,580
120 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$56,430
110 jobsFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR
$40,050
100 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders make?
The average is $44,940 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $41,330 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $21.61, and the median is $19.87 an hour.
Which state pays cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders the most?
Iowa, with an average of $63,740 a year. The best-paying metro area is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ at $56,430.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $33,430 a year, and the top 10% earn over $62,340.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-9193. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.