General Chemical Process Workers

How to become a Refrigeration Operator

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 制冷工

Operates refrigeration compressors, pumps and other equipment to circulate refrigerant and coolant through the system and supply low temperatures for production.

Main tasks

Running refrigeration compressors so the refrigerant is compressed, cooled and condensed into a liquid
Adjusting expansion valves so the refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator and draws heat from the coolant
Pumping the chilled coolant to the equipment that needs cooling
Controlling pressure, temperature and flow in the system
Topping up the system with refrigerant or coolant as needed
Checking and maintaining equipment regularly and spotting and clearing problems and faults quickly
Keeping production records and the related data

Ways in

Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Applied Chemical Technology (470201). Vocational major 470201 Applied Chemical Technology (应用化工技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Chemical Distillation Safety Control; Chemical Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Analysis.; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Chemical Processes (670201). Vocational major 670201 Chemical Processes (化学工艺), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Chemical Distillation Safety Control; Chemical Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Analysis.; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Cold Chain Logistics Services and Management (730802). Vocational major 730802 Cold Chain Logistics Services and Management (冷链物流服务与管理), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Logistics Management; Supply Chain Operations.; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Equipment Operation and Maintenance (660205). Vocational major 660205 Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Equipment Operation and Maintenance (制冷和空调设备运行与维护), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning System Installation and Repair.; Vocational bachelor (职业本科) major: Intelligent Chemical Manufacturing Engineering Technology (270202). Vocational major 270202 Intelligent Chemical Manufacturing Engineering Technology (化工智能制造工程技术), 4 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Chemical Distillation Safety Control; Chemical Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Analysis; Big Data Analysis and Applications.

Pay · AI and this job

Median pay in China: CN¥70,300 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥51,500 to CN¥94,900. One in ten earn less than CN¥41,200 and one in ten more than CN¥123,600.
This is the figure for the mid group Chemical Raw Materials and Products Manufacturing Workers, not for this job alone.
National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
Guangzhou only: median CN¥93,642 a year (2025), middle half CN¥62,231 to CN¥119,547.
This is the figure for the minor group General Chemical Process Workers, not for this job alone.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

The census group Chemical Raw Materials and Products Manufacturing Workers holds 0.24% of everyone employed in China; 30.2% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
33.9% are under 35, 57.1% are 35 to 54 and 9% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 40 to 44.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Refrigeration Operator?

Ways in include: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Applied Chemical Technology (470201); Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Chemical Processes (670201).

How much does a Refrigeration Operator earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥70,300 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Chemical Raw Materials and Products Manufacturing Workers. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥93,642 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of a Refrigeration Operator?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026