Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders in Virginia make a median of $35,370 a year, or about $17.01 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $37,314 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 68.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Virginia. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $35K get you in Virginia?
About cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders
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What this looks like in Virginia
Pay for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders in Virginia runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $41K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 68.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenderss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $46K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a cooling and freezing equipment operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 68.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,082/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Virginia?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $35K here vs. $41K nationally. Cost of living is 5% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders?
Virginia pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $41K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $37K — below the national median.
How much do cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders make in Virginia?
The median is $35,370 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,700, and experienced cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders can clear $45,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,412/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 68.2% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $37,314 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.