What does a refrigeration engineer do?
Refrigeration engineers are generally called to design and oversee the fabrication of both residential and industrial refrigeration systems, as well as troubleshoot any potential problems therewith. This choice of career will require a good knowledge base of thermodynamics, as well as computer-aided design systems. Refrigeration engineers must also have an understanding of health and safety regulation standards.
Refrigeration engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real refrigeration engineer resumes:
- Contribute PowerShell functions to a PowerShell module used to automate software upgrades.
- Establish the best quality and cost effective components such as compressors, evaporators, condensers, fan motors etc.
- Maintain steam boilers, air compressors and building HVAC's requirements.
- Repair water leaks, plumbing, kitchen fixtures and water filters.
- Leak test, evacuate, re-cover and charge freon on refrigeration system.
- Fix and maintain all plumbing, kitchen equipment, fire protection equipment and electrical works.
- Configure VPN'S for the communication between the servers of AWS side and client side.
- Repacked pumps and compressors, clean condensers, and replace worn or defective parts using hand and power tools.
- Create JIRA issues for prioritizing what is important, and cope up with what's going on around the project.
- Talent trouble shooter with strong working knowledge of steam fitting, piping and electrical wiring as it relates to HVAC equipment.
- Used broad selection of power tools to complete projects, commonly involve cutting, fitting, and brazing of copper pipe.
- Maintain and operate absorption refrigeration systems.
- Work exclusively within a UNIX environment.
- Monitor evaporators to maintain ice free operation and defrost as needed.
- Perform Unix and Microsoft operating system installs on all internal workstations.
Refrigeration engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Refrigeration Engineers are proficient in HVAC, Freon, and Plumbing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Listening skills, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Refrigeration Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- HVAC, 16%
Worked as a Power Plant operator maintaining boilers and HVAC for the site including troubleshooting and repairs.
- Freon, 13%
Maintained, operated and troubleshoot Ammonia and Freon systems.
- Plumbing, 10%
Possess Knowledge and skills in electric, plumbing systems, refrigeration cycle, common parts and pneumatic/electrical/electronic control systems.
- Absorption, 8%
Operate and maintain Two (2) 590 Ton, 2 stage Lithium Bromide Absorption A/C units.
- A/C, 8%
Repair motor controls and system problems along with electrical trouble shooting in A/C and Refrigeration systems.
- Brazing, 7%
Used broad selection of power tools to complete projects, commonly involved cutting, fitting, and brazing of copper pipe.
Most refrigeration engineers use their skills in "hvac," "freon," and "plumbing" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential refrigeration engineer responsibilities here:
Creativity. One of the key soft skills for a refrigeration engineer to have is creativity. You can see how this relates to what refrigeration engineers do because "mechanical engineers design and build complex pieces of equipment and machinery." Additionally, a refrigeration engineer resume shows how refrigeration engineers use creativity: "provided regular training sessions on quality improvement and process management to shift supervisors and interns process improvement and inventory management:. "
Listening skills. Another essential skill to perform refrigeration engineer duties is listening skills. Refrigeration engineers responsibilities require that "mechanical engineers often work on projects with others, such as architects and computer scientists." Refrigeration engineers also use listening skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "communicated design criteria and specifications and helped troubleshoot the build. "
Math skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of refrigeration engineers is math skills. This skill is critical to many everyday refrigeration engineer duties, as "mechanical engineers use the principles of calculus, statistics, and other advanced subjects in math for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "developed a visual c++ (mfc) based application to calculate real time statistics for gps sessions. "
Mechanical skills. For certain refrigeration engineer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "mechanical skills." The day-to-day duties of a refrigeration engineer rely on this skill, as "mechanical skills allow engineers to apply basic engineering concepts and mechanical processes to the design of new devices and systems." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what refrigeration engineers do: "created cad drawings for over 50 renovations on military installations to include civil, mechanical, and electrical plans. "
Problem-solving skills. A commonly-found skill in refrigeration engineer job descriptions, "problem-solving skills" is essential to what refrigeration engineers do. Refrigeration engineer responsibilities rely on this skill because "mechanical engineers need good problem-solving skills to take scientific principles and discoveries and use them to design and build useful products." You can also see how refrigeration engineer duties rely on problem-solving skills in this resume example: "project lead on multiple mvp savings projects solved manufacturing issues and updated drawings, accordingly using solid works and cnc programming. "
The three companies that hire the most refrigeration engineers are:
- New York University12 refrigeration engineers jobs
- Regal Beloit3 refrigeration engineers jobs
- Lucid Motors3 refrigeration engineers jobs
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Compare different refrigeration engineers
Refrigeration engineer vs. Engineer
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between refrigeration engineers and engineer. For instance, refrigeration engineer responsibilities require skills such as "freon," "absorption," "a/c," and "brazing." Whereas a engineer is skilled in "python," "cloud," "c++," and "c #." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Engineers earn the highest salaries when working in the automotive industry, with an average yearly salary of $97,672. On the other hand, refrigeration engineers are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $97,717.engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than refrigeration engineers. In fact, engineers are 5.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Refrigeration engineer vs. Design engineer internship
When it comes to a design engineer internship, an intern is primarily responsible for performing support tasks while under the supervision and directives of a manager or a more experienced engineer. Their duties typically revolve around processing documents, updating records and populating databases, responding to inquiries and correspondence, running errands, sharing insights, and even participating in designing projects. Furthermore, as an intern, it is essential to report to the supervising manager and adhere to the company's policies and regulations.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real refrigeration engineer resumes. While refrigeration engineer responsibilities can utilize skills like "freon," "plumbing," "absorption," and "a/c," design engineer interns use skills like "python," "rf," "level analysis," and "c++."
Design engineer interns may earn a lower salary than refrigeration engineers, but design engineer interns earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $62,117. On the other hand, refrigeration engineers receive higher pay in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $97,717.In general, design engineer interns achieve similar levels of education than refrigeration engineers. They're 4.1% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Refrigeration engineer vs. Mechanical design engineer
A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals. Typically assigned in an office setting, a mechanical design engineer must visit construction sites or factories to test and observe equipment qualities. Furthermore, during production, there are instances when a mechanical engineer must coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and clients.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from refrigeration engineer resumes include skills like "freon," "absorption," "a/c," and "autocad," whereas a mechanical design engineer is more likely to list skills in "cad," "mechanical design," "gd," and "creo. "
Mechanical design engineers make a very good living in the automotive industry with an average annual salary of $87,483. On the other hand, refrigeration engineers are paid the highest salary in the professional industry, with average annual pay of $97,717.Most mechanical design engineers achieve a similar degree level compared to refrigeration engineers. For example, they're 4.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Refrigeration engineer vs. Equipment engineer
The duties of an equipment engineer depend on one's organization or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around designing and developing mechanical and electronic equipment, analyzing and improving existing systems, performing customization according to customers' preferences, installing and removing attachments, and conducting regular maintenance procedures. An equipment engineer must also address issues and complaints, providing corrective measures promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with team members and other specialists, inspect and test new systems, and adhere to the company's policies and regulations.
Types of refrigeration engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
