Chilling operator
Also known as: prepared meals operator
About this occupation
Chilling operators perform various processes and tend specific machines for manufacturing prepared meals and dishes. They apply chilling, sealing, and freezing methods to foodstuffs for non-immediate consumption.
Essential skills and knowledge
- execute chilling processes to food products
- monitor freezing processes
- ensure sanitation
- maintain food specifications
- carry out checks of production plant equipment
- follow production schedule
- label foodstuffs
- apply preservation treatments
- apply GMP
- weigh materials
- collect samples for analysis
- check quality of products on the production line
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders (O*NET 51-3093.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Clean, wash, and sterilize equipment and cooking area, using water hoses, cleaning or sterilizing solutions, or rinses.
- Read work orders, recipes, or formulas to determine cooking times and temperatures, and ingredient specifications.
- Observe gauges, dials, and product characteristics, and adjust controls to maintain appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow of ingredients.
- Measure or weigh ingredients, using scales or measuring containers.
- Tend or operate and control equipment, such as kettles, cookers, vats and tanks, and boilers, to cook ingredients or prepare products for further processing.
- Record production and test data, such as processing steps, temperature and steam readings, cooking time, batches processed, and test results.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Active Listening, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$41,590 a year (2025), 31,250 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- Agriculture or Foods and NutritionO*NET: Food ProductionVery important (3.8)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.3)
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Food Batchmakers
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
- Bakers
- Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
- Cooks, Restaurant
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.