Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in Kentucky make a median of $40,840 a year, or about $19.63 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.23), which stretches that salary to about $45,262 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,110/month, about 39.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Kentucky. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $41K get you in Kentucky?
About cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Kentucky
Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders pay in Kentucky tracks closely to the national median, $41K locally vs. $41K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,110/month, which is 40.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.23 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kentucky
Entry-level cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $9K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Kentucky numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kentucky?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 40.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,110/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Kentucky?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,308/month. At HUD’s $1,110/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Kentucky?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $41K locally vs. $41K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Kentucky compare to the national average for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders?
Kentucky pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.23), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders make in Kentucky?
The median is $40,840 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,470, and experienced cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders can clear $46,980. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Kentucky?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,768/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,110/month, which eats 40.1% 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 Kentucky?
Kentucky has a Regional Price Parity of 90.23 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders salary is worth about $45,262 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.