Meter Readers, Utilities
Meter Readers, Utilities (SOC 43-5041) earn a median $48,150 a year ($23.15 an hour) in the United States, with 19,430 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What meter readers, utilities do
Utility meter readers read meters and record the consumption of electricity, gas, water, or steam. They walk or drive established routes, take readings from meter dials, and enter the data in route books or hand-held computers. Afterward they upload the information from hand-held computers to office computers, or return route books or the devices to the business office so that the data can be compiled. Along the way, readers check meters for illegal hookups, defects, and damage, for example broken seals. When consumption looks abnormal, they verify the reading and note possible reasons for the change. They report problems such as meter irregularities, damaged equipment, or obstacles to access, including dogs, to service departments. If a meter cannot be reached, they leave a message to arrange another time. Some also connect and disconnect utility services at specific locations. Workers who install and repair meters and lines, and clerks who use the readings to prepare bills, do different jobs.
Typical entry: O*NET survey respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the education level for this occupation.
Also called: Customer Field Representative, Electric Meter Reader, Facilities Technician (Facilities Tech), Field Service Engineer, Field Technician.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.69 | $18.95 | $23.15 | $31.61 | $41.31 | $26.63 | 19,430 |
| Annual | $34,720 | $39,410 | $48,150 | $65,750 | $85,930 | $55,380 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where meter readers, utilities earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $24.23 | $30.07 | $38.00 | $47.68 | $49.19 | $38.28 | 810 | 0.04 | 0.35 |
| Annual | $50,400 | $62,540 | $79,040 | $99,180 | $102,310 | $79,610 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $18.90 | $22.95 | $37.72 | $40.07 | $48.05 | $34.14 | 860 | 0.14 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $39,310 | $47,740 | $78,450 | $83,350 | $99,940 | $71,010 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $17.31 | $23.52 | $36.60 | $46.03 | $47.98 | $34.66 | 160 | 0.11 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $36,000 | $48,920 | $76,120 | $95,730 | $99,790 | $72,100 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $19.30 | $27.67 | $35.54 | $40.38 | $41.78 | $32.84 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.33 |
| Annual | $40,150 | $57,550 | $73,930 | $83,990 | $86,910 | $68,300 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $21.95 | $28.67 | $32.00 | $40.60 | $42.63 | $33.53 | 150 | 0.05 | 0.43 |
| Annual | $45,650 | $59,630 | $66,550 | $84,450 | $88,670 | $69,740 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.92 | $18.06 | $20.69 | $23.41 | $29.02 | $21.48 | 1,360 | 0.10 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $31,030 | $37,570 | $43,030 | $48,690 | $60,360 | $44,680 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $19.04 | $21.46 | $22.97 | $30.44 | $41.61 | $27.13 | 1,070 | 0.19 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $39,600 | $44,640 | $47,780 | $63,300 | $86,560 | $56,420 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $19.06 | $22.58 | $27.38 | $31.75 | $52.01 | $30.78 | 930 | 0.10 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $39,630 | $46,960 | $56,960 | $66,030 | $108,190 | $64,020 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $23.39 | $25.14 | $30.31 | $40.32 | $44.09 | $32.59 | 870 | 0.20 | 1.62 |
| Annual | $48,660 | $52,290 | $63,030 | $83,870 | $91,710 | $67,780 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $18.90 | $22.95 | $37.72 | $40.07 | $48.05 | $34.14 | 860 | 0.14 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $39,310 | $47,740 | $78,450 | $83,350 | $99,940 | $71,010 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $40.84 | $46.18 | $48.31 | $49.19 | $51.43 | $47.52 | 140 | 0.06 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $84,950 | $96,060 | $100,480 | $102,310 | $106,970 | $98,850 | ||||
| Reno, NV | Hourly | $22.20 | $30.80 | $43.01 | $47.98 | $47.98 | $39.58 | 40 | 0.16 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $46,170 | $64,060 | $89,460 | $99,790 | $99,790 | $82,320 | ||||
| Omaha, NE-IA | Hourly | $33.78 | $41.98 | $41.98 | $41.98 | $41.98 | $40.07 | 60 | 0.13 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $70,250 | $87,320 | $87,320 | $87,320 | $87,320 | $83,350 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $22.95 | $27.54 | $40.07 | $40.14 | $40.88 | $35.64 | 400 | 0.14 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $47,740 | $57,270 | $83,350 | $83,480 | $85,040 | $74,140 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | $25.44 | $31.35 | $39.62 | $46.86 | $48.70 | $38.25 | 60 | 0.06 | 0.44 |
| Annual | $52,900 | $65,200 | $82,420 | $97,470 | $101,290 | $79,570 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $22.56 | $26.98 | $30.31 | $41.27 | $47.27 | $34.37 | 1,110 | 0.12 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $46,920 | $56,130 | $63,040 | $85,850 | $98,320 | $71,500 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $22.95 | $27.54 | $40.07 | $40.14 | $40.88 | $35.64 | 400 | 0.14 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $47,740 | $57,270 | $83,350 | $83,480 | $85,040 | $74,140 | ||||
| Columbus, OH | Hourly | $19.27 | $22.32 | $22.81 | $28.53 | $37.76 | $26.10 | 390 | 0.35 | 2.80 |
| Annual | $40,080 | $46,420 | $47,430 | $59,340 | $78,550 | $54,300 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $18.69 | $18.69 | $20.33 | $26.86 | $38.54 | $24.24 | 380 | 0.13 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $38,870 | $38,880 | $42,280 | $55,880 | $80,150 | $50,420 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $18.65 | $18.65 | $20.74 | $25.05 | $31.62 | $23.34 | 310 | 0.11 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $38,800 | $38,800 | $43,140 | $52,100 | $65,770 | $48,550 | ||||
Top industries employing meter readers, utilities
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) employ 48.2% of meter readers, utilities nationally (9,360 jobs) at a median $46,010 a year ($22.12 an hour), followed by Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (17.1%) and Other Support Services (11.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 9,360 | 48.2% | $46,010 | $22.12 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution NAICS 221100 | 3,320 | 17.1% | $75,120 | $36.12 |
| Other Support Services NAICS 561900 | 2,310 | 11.9% | $40,980 | $19.70 |
| Water, Sewage and Other Systems NAICS 221300 | 1,620 | 8.3% | $47,420 | $22.80 |
| Natural Gas Distribution NAICS 221200 | 1,530 | 7.9% | $61,340 | $29.49 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (19,430). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $45,720 for meter readers, utilities in May 2021 and $48,150 in May 2025, with employment of 24,000 and 19,430.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $45,720 | $21.98 | 24,000 |
| May 2022 | $44,760 | $21.52 | 20,460 |
| May 2023 | $47,720 | $22.94 | 19,900 |
| May 2024 | $49,180 | $23.64 | 19,620 |
| May 2025 | $48,150 | $23.15 | 19,430 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
45 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $38.00 | $79,040 | $50,400 | $102,310 | 810 | 0.04 | 0.35 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania profile | $37.72 | $78,450 | $39,310 | $99,940 | 860 | 0.14 | 1.13 |
| 3 | Nevada profile | $36.60 | $76,120 | $36,000 | $99,790 | 160 | 0.11 | 0.84 |
| 4 | Minnesota profile | $35.54 | $73,930 | $40,150 | $86,910 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.33 |
| 5 | Colorado profile | $32.00 | $66,550 | $45,650 | $88,670 | 150 | 0.05 | 0.43 |
| 6 | Washington profile | $31.68 | $65,900 | $42,300 | $106,330 | 390 | 0.11 | 0.88 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $30.86 | $64,180 | $39,530 | $97,550 | 140 | 0.08 | 0.64 |
| 8 | Oregon profile | $30.61 | $63,660 | $38,850 | $78,090 | 120 | 0.06 | 0.50 |
| 9 | New Jersey profile | $30.31 | $63,030 | $48,660 | $91,710 | 870 | 0.20 | 1.62 |
| 10 | Alaska profile | $30.14 | $62,690 | $30,520 | $91,470 | 40 | 0.11 | 0.91 |
| 11 | Wyoming profile | $29.55 | $61,470 | $44,760 | $99,090 | 50 | 0.18 | 1.41 |
| 12 | Iowa profile | $29.30 | $60,940 | $42,530 | $73,560 | 120 | 0.08 | 0.63 |
| 13 | Michigan profile | $29.27 | $60,870 | $39,540 | $92,440 | 270 | 0.06 | 0.50 |
| 14 | Illinois profile | $29.18 | $60,690 | $31,200 | $104,960 | 570 | 0.09 | 0.75 |
| 15 | West Virginia profile | $28.57 | $59,430 | $36,650 | $86,880 | 280 | 0.40 | 3.17 |
| 16 | Delaware profile | $28.00 | $58,240 | $43,520 | $95,330 | 30 | 0.07 | 0.56 |
| 17 | New York profile | $27.38 | $56,960 | $39,630 | $108,190 | 930 | 0.10 | 0.76 |
| 18 | Rhode Island profile | $27.32 | $56,830 | $44,880 | $67,750 | 40 | 0.08 | 0.62 |
| 19 | Massachusetts profile | $26.03 | $54,150 | $43,280 | $90,530 | 300 | 0.08 | 0.66 |
| 20 | Hawaii profile | $24.96 | $51,910 | $40,260 | $78,050 | 50 | 0.08 | 0.62 |
| 21 | Kansas profile | $23.97 | $49,870 | $15,080 | $79,380 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.43 |
| 22 | Indiana profile | $23.66 | $49,200 | $36,200 | $97,820 | 330 | 0.10 | 0.83 |
| 23 | Missouri profile | $23.63 | $49,150 | $34,040 | $83,150 | 330 | 0.11 | 0.90 |
| 24 | New Mexico profile | $23.33 | $48,530 | $39,490 | $64,920 | 350 | 0.40 | 3.18 |
| 25 | South Carolina profile | $23.01 | $47,850 | $32,570 | $63,090 | 410 | 0.18 | 1.43 |
| 26 | Ohio profile | $22.97 | $47,780 | $39,600 | $86,560 | 1,070 | 0.19 | 1.55 |
| 27 | Alabama profile | $21.98 | $45,710 | $33,460 | $72,200 | 470 | 0.22 | 1.77 |
| 28 | Tennessee profile | $21.74 | $45,210 | $30,280 | $71,850 | 860 | 0.26 | 2.09 |
| 29 | Arizona profile | $21.52 | $44,760 | $38,170 | $66,030 | 360 | 0.11 | 0.90 |
| 30 | Kentucky profile | $21.37 | $44,450 | $32,200 | $62,690 | 690 | 0.35 | 2.76 |
| 31 | Virginia profile | $21.16 | $44,020 | $31,750 | $61,650 | 630 | 0.15 | 1.22 |
| 32 | Georgia profile | $20.74 | $43,140 | $36,040 | $63,610 | 670 | 0.14 | 1.10 |
| 33 | Texas profile | $20.69 | $43,030 | $31,030 | $60,360 | 1,360 | 0.10 | 0.77 |
| 34 | North Carolina profile | $20.11 | $41,830 | $33,730 | $62,200 | 640 | 0.13 | 1.04 |
| 35 | Florida profile | $19.53 | $40,610 | $36,820 | $73,080 | ** | ** | ** |
| 36 | Oklahoma profile | $18.98 | $39,480 | $31,120 | $64,500 | 390 | 0.23 | 1.84 |
| 37 | Louisiana profile | $18.06 | $37,570 | $23,840 | $50,150 | 500 | 0.26 | 2.07 |
| 38 | Arkansas profile | $17.95 | $37,340 | $22,880 | $66,000 | 230 | 0.18 | 1.41 |
| 39 | Mississippi profile | $17.85 | $37,120 | $21,600 | $61,380 | 600 | 0.51 | 4.10 |
| – | Idaho profile | * | * | * | * | 70 | 0.08 | 0.64 |
| – | Maryland profile | * | * | * | * | 320 | 0.12 | 0.94 |
| – | Nebraska profile | * | * | * | * | 90 | 0.09 | 0.72 |
| – | New Hampshire profile | * | * | * | * | 40 | 0.06 | 0.48 |
| – | Utah profile | * | * | * | * | 280 | 0.16 | 1.29 |
| – | Wisconsin profile | * | * | * | * | 410 | 0.14 | 1.12 |
Part of Office and Administrative Support Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 43-5041 Meter Readers, Utilities.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 43-5041, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 43-5041.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.