Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
Machines can already do 26% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 66%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 26% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2032, and 66% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 6,900 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $41,330 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 59% for contact with people.
- Also called: Certified Refrigeration Operator, Compressor Operator, Engine Room Operator, Freezer Operator.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 20% | 30% to 75% | |
| Record temperatures, amounts of materials processed, or test results on report forms | 7% | 70% to 95% | |
| Start machinery, such as pumps, feeders, or conveyors, and turn valves to heat, admit, or transfer products, refrigerants, or mixes | 7% | 20% to 60% | |
| Measure or weigh specified amounts of ingredients or materials, and load them into tanks, vats, hoppers, or other equipment | 7% | 20% to 60% | |
| Inspect and flush lines with solutions or steam, and spray equipment with sterilizing solutions | 7% | 30% to 75% | |
| Read dials and gauges on panel control boards to ascertain temperatures, alkalinities, and densities of mixtures, and turn valves to obtain specified mixtures | 6% | 30% to 75% | |
| Correct machinery malfunctions by performing actions such as removing jams, and inform supervisors of malfunctions as necessary | 6% | 3% to 30% | |
| Adjust machine or freezer speed and air intake to obtain desired consistency and amount of product | 6% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing60% of tasks by 2035 · US median $43,380
- Printing Press Operators65% of tasks by 2035 · US median $45,780
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders64% of tasks by 2035 · US median $46,460
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic60% of tasks by 2035 · US median $46,550
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2032. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders?
Machines can do 26% of the tasks of cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders today and 66% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 51-9193.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/cooling-and-freezing-equipment-operators-and-tenders/