Refrigeration operator vs refrigeration engine operator

The differences between refrigeration operators and refrigeration engine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a refrigeration engine operator has an average salary of $51,929, which is higher than the $50,937 average annual salary of a refrigeration operator.

The top three skills for a refrigeration operator include ammonia, freon and PSM. The most important skills for a refrigeration engine operator are HVAC, hot water, and cooling towers.

Refrigeration operator vs refrigeration engine operator overview

	Refrigeration Operator	Refrigeration Engine Operator
Yearly salary	$50,937	$51,929
Hourly rate	$24.49	$24.97
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	26,855	28,649
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age	40	43
Years of experience	4	-

Refrigeration operator vs refrigeration engine operator salary

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

	Refrigeration Operator	Refrigeration Engine Operator
Average salary	$50,937	$51,929
Salary range	Between $36,000 And $71,000	Between $27,000 And $96,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between refrigeration operator and refrigeration engine operator education

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

	Refrigeration Operator	Refrigeration Engine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common major	Heating And Air Conditioning	Heating And Air Conditioning
Most common college	-	-

Refrigeration operator vs refrigeration engine operator demographics

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

	Refrigeration Operator	Refrigeration Engine Operator
Average age	40	43
Gender ratio	Male, 98.3% Female, 1.7%	Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7%
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, 12.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 5.6% White, 57.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	2%	5%

Differences between refrigeration operator and refrigeration engine 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.

Refrigeration engine operator example responsibilities.

Maintain pneumatic systems, electrical systems, gas equipment, HVAC and AC/DC systems.
Operate and maintain ammonia refrigeration system perform preventive maintenance on equipment from compressors to tunnel freezers.
Exercise attention to detail of paperwork involving math percentages of injections and production.

Refrigeration operator vs refrigeration engine operator skills

Common refrigeration operator skills

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

Common refrigeration engine operator skills

HVAC, 76%
Hot Water, 15%
Cooling Towers, 9%

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Refrigeration Operator
Refrigeration Operator vs Refrigeration Engine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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