Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in Salem, OR make a median of $33,180 a year, or about $15.95 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $32,012 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,560/month, about 68.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $33K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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 Salem
Pay for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders in Salem runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $41K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,560/month, which is 71.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenderss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $41K | $36K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $30K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Salem numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salem?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 71.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/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 Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,879/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 83% 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 Salem?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $33K here vs. $41K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders?
Salem pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders make in Salem, OR?
The median is $33,180 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,310, and experienced cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders can clear $60,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,193/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 71.1% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (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 $32,012 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.