Also called: Rink Chiller Technician, Ice Plant Technician
Runs and repairs the big refrigeration plants under hockey and figure-skating rinks that keep the ice hard and smooth.
At 6 a.m. you check the compressors and brine pumps under an NHL arena before the morning skate. You adjust the floor temperature for a figure-skating event tonight and fix a leaky valve before it softens the ice.
Estimated; NHL and Olympic-level rinks pay more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Apprenticeship, about 2 years after high school. HVAC/refrigeration training plus specialty rink and ammonia courses.
Ways in: Trade school, Apprenticeship, Certification. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: HVAC-R Technology (trade school).
Growing about average. About 1,800 US rinks need upkeep; old Freon systems are being replaced.
Low risk for 10 years. Controls automate temperatures, but repairing compressors and pipes stays hands-on.
Classes: Physics, Shop, Chemistry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-9021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.