Refrigeration operator vs operator

The differences between refrigeration operators and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a refrigeration operator and an operator. Additionally, a refrigeration operator has an average salary of $50,937, which is higher than the $37,928 average annual salary of an operator.

The top three skills for a refrigeration operator include ammonia, freon and PSM. The most important skills for an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.

Refrigeration operator vs operator overview

	Refrigeration Operator	Operator
Yearly salary	$50,937	$37,928
Hourly rate	$24.49	$18.23
Growth rate	5%	7%
Number of jobs	26,855	159,077
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 40%
Average age	40	43
Years of experience	4	4

Refrigeration operator vs operator salary

Refrigeration operators and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Refrigeration Operator	Operator
Average salary	$50,937	$37,928
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $71,000	Between $27,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	North Dakota
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between refrigeration operator and operator education

There are a few differences between a refrigeration operator and an operator in terms of educational background:

	Refrigeration Operator	Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	High School Diploma, 40%
Most common major	Heating And Air Conditioning	Business
Most common college	-	-

Refrigeration operator vs operator demographics

Here are the differences between refrigeration operators' and operators' demographics:

	Refrigeration Operator	Operator
Average age	40	43
Gender ratio	Male, 98.3% Female, 1.7%	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	2%	4%

Differences between refrigeration operator and operator duties and responsibilities

Refrigeration operator example responsibilities.

Assist with and, on occasion, manage installation and modification of building HVAC/R systems.
Repair pumps, PLC controllers, piping and plumbing.
Work on PLC controls, VFD drives.
Service roof top HVAC units.
Process management compliant with OSHA, EPA and DEC.
Use of computerize system to schedule repairs, track projects, and monitor and evaluate HVAC system.

Operator example responsibilities.

Assist in developing the company s short and long term training plans and managing yearly ammunition allocation.
Assist and manage the extrusion process of polyester raw material in pellet or chip form to produce finish rolls of plastic.
Manage day-to-day transportation and logistics services for multinational account base.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Job require basic math skills: fractions and decimals.
Ensure safety of all equipment during production in compliance with strict OSHA and safety regulations.

Refrigeration operator vs operator skills

Common refrigeration operator skills

Ammonia, 21%
Freon, 11%
PSM, 11%
HVAC, 8%
Condensers, 6%
OSHA, 5%

Common operator skills

Safety Procedures, 15%
CDL, 6%
Emergency Calls, 6%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%
Quality Checks, 4%
Dozer, 4%

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Installation, Maintenance and Repair Industry
Refrigeration Operator
Refrigeration Operator vs Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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