Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 8,300 people employed as cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders in the United States. The median annual salary is $40,390. Entry level employees earn approximately $29,200 per year and senior employees earn approximately $59,970 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Weigh packages and adjust freezer air valves or switches on filler heads to obtain specified amounts of product in each container.
• Inspect and flush lines with solutions or steam, and spray equipment with sterilizing solutions.
• Load and position wrapping paper, sticks, bags, or cartons into dispensing machines.
• Sample and test product characteristics such as specific gravity, acidity, and sugar content, using hydrometers, pH meters, or refractometers.
• 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.
• Measure or weigh specified amounts of ingredients or materials, and load them into tanks, vats, hoppers, or other equipment.
• Adjust machine or freezer speed and air intake to obtain desired consistency and amount of product.
• Start agitators to blend contents, or start beater, scraper, and expeller blades to mix contents with air and prevent sticking.
• Position molds on conveyors, and measure and adjust level of fill, using depth gauges.
• Insert forming fixtures, and start machines that cut frozen products into measured portions or specified shapes.
• Place or position containers into equipment, and remove containers after completion of cooling or freezing processes.
• Scrape, dislodge, or break excess frost, ice, or frozen product from equipment to prevent accumulation, using hands and hand tools.
• Activate mechanical rakes to regulate flow of ice from storage bins to vats.
• Stir material with spoons or paddles to mix ingredients or allow even cooling and prevent coagulation.

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