Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $65,320 a year, or about $31.41 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $63,056 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 41.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $65K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin sits well above the national pay line for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders, local pay runs about 58% higher than the U.S. median of $41K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 41.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $54K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $68K | +65% | 60 |
| Iowa | $63K | +51% | 290 |
| Indiana | $56K | +35% | 50 |
| Missouri | $54K | +31% | 200 |
| New Jersey | $51K | +25% | 100 |
| Washington | $51K | +23% | 60 |
| Illinois | $49K | +19% | 60 |
| Idaho | $48K | +17% | 90 |
| Ohio | $48K | +17% | 240 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +14% | 100 |
| Minnesota | $47K | +14% | 100 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +13% | N/A |
| Georgia | $47K | +13% | 540 |
| Colorado | $46K | +12% | 130 |
| South Dakota | $46K | +10% | 80 |
| Utah | $46K | +10% | 70 |
| New York | $45K | +10% | 160 |
| Florida | $45K | +10% | 130 |
| California | $42K | +2% | 310 |
| Connecticut | $41K | -1% | 70 |
| Kentucky | $41K | -1% | 70 |
| Oregon | $40K | -3% | 120 |
| South Carolina | $40K | -4% | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $40K | -4% | 130 |
| Pennsylvania | $39K | -5% | 760 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -6% | 420 |
| Mississippi | $38K | -8% | 360 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -8% | 270 |
| Hawaii | $38K | -8% | 110 |
| Tennessee | $38K | -9% | 50 |
| Texas | $36K | -13% | 510 |
| Virginia | $35K | -14% | 170 |
| Alabama | $35K | -15% | 280 |
| Michigan | $32K | -23% | 290 |
Showing 1–10 of 34 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 41.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,776/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 64% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay is 58% above the national median — $65K here vs. $41K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s +58%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $65,320 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,260, and experienced cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders can clear $82,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,259/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 41.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders salary go in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders salary is worth about $63,056 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.