AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-9193.00
Will AI replace Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders?
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 18 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 18 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inspect and flush lines with solutions or steam, and spray equipment with sterilizing solutions. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Record temperatures, amounts of materials processed, or test results on report forms. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Read dials and gauges on panel control boards to ascertain temperatures, alkalinities, and densities of mixtures, and turn valves to obtain specified mixtures. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Measure or weigh specified amounts of ingredients or materials, and load them into tanks, vats, hoppers, or other equipment. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Adjust machine or freezer speed and air intake to obtain desired consistency and amount of product. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Start machinery, such as pumps, feeders, or conveyors, and turn valves to heat, admit, or transfer products, refrigerants, or mixes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Weigh packages and adjust freezer air valves or switches on filler heads to obtain specified amounts of product in each container. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Correct machinery malfunctions by performing actions such as removing jams, and inform supervisors of malfunctions as necessary. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Load and position wrapping paper, sticks, bags, or cartons into dispensing machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Sample and test product characteristics such as specific gravity, acidity, and sugar content, using hydrometers, pH meters, or refractometers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Start agitators to blend contents, or start beater, scraper, and expeller blades to mix contents with air and prevent sticking. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Assemble equipment, and attach pipes, fittings, or valves, using hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Insert forming fixtures, and start machines that cut frozen products into measured portions or specified shapes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Place or position containers into equipment, and remove containers after completion of cooling or freezing processes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Scrape, dislodge, or break excess frost, ice, or frozen product from equipment to prevent accumulation, using hands and hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Activate mechanical rakes to regulate flow of ice from storage bins to vats. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Stir material with spoons or paddles to mix ingredients or allow even cooling and prevent coagulation. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 18 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 18 of 18. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 12% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 12% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 88% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 6,900
- Median annual wage
- $41,330
- Middle half of earners
- $36,380 to $49,550
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +7.2%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure14
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure22
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure15
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure19
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure14
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders and AI
Will AI replace Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders?
Not on current evidence. None of the 18 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 16 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.
What is the AI exposure of Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders?
16 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 18 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 18 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: 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, at 20 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 12% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 88% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders, and what do they earn?
6,900 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $41,330 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +7.2% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/cooling-and-freezing-equipment-operators-and-tenders
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