Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in Colorado make a median of $46,160 a year, or about $22.19 an hour. The range runs from $43K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.71), that's roughly $44,509 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,832/month, about 57.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Colorado. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
Where the paycheck goes
What $46K actually covers in Colorado, month by month
About cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Colorado
Colorado sits well above the national pay line for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders, local pay runs about 12% 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 $1,832/month, which is 59.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.71) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Colorado
Entry-level cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $43K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $11K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Colorado numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Colorado?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 59.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,832/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Colorado?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders typically earn — is $43K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,907/month. At HUD’s $1,832/month FMR, rent would take 63% 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 Colorado?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $46K here vs. $41K nationally.
How does Colorado compare to the national average for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders?
Colorado pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.71), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders make in Colorado?
The median is $46,160 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,240, and experienced cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders can clear $53,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Colorado?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,091/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,832/month, which eats 59.3% 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 Colorado?
Colorado has a Regional Price Parity of 103.71 (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 $44,509 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.