Meter Readers, Utilities Salary: $80,262 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 19,620 meter readers, utilities nationally earn a mean of $80,262. Employment in the series shown fell about 14% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 10.3% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Meter Readers, Utilities: what the data shows
Common questions about meter readers, utilities careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a meter readers, utilities?
Meter Readers, Utilities is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-5041.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 19,620 workers.
What does a meter readers, utilities do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a meter readers, utilities make?
BLS national median annual wage: $49,180 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $80,262 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $51,955 |
| 25th percentile | $63,989 |
| Median (50th) | $80,671 |
| 75th percentile | $98,006 |
| 90th percentile | $101,990 |
What education do you need?
For Meter Readers, Utilities, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Time Management, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Mathematics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is meter readers, utilities in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 10.3% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -42.0%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -66.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 19,620.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do meter readers, utilitiess work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 19,620 | 18.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 10,260 | 9.6% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 9,360 | 8.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 9,360 | 8.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 9,360 | 8.7% |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 9,350 | 8.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Meter Readers, Utilities in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Meter Readers, Utilities workforce.
Employment Over Time
19,620 Workforce in 2023
The Meter Readers, Utilities workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$80,262 Average Wage
In 2023, Meter Readers, Utilities earned an average of $80,262.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Salary distribution for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Employment Growth Projections
-10.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,902 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -42.0%
1,103 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -66.4%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Meter Readers, Utilities and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Meter Readers, Utilities employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Wage Trends by Industry
4.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Meter Readers, Utilities.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- OH: 1,680 employees, $51,110 avg wage
- TX: 1,280 employees, $44,610 avg wage
- NJ: 1,170 employees, $61,800 avg wage
- PA: 990 employees, $57,470 avg wage
- FL: 940 employees, $49,180 avg wage
- CA: 890 employees, $78,570 avg wage
- NY: 870 employees, $73,340 avg wage
- IL: 770 employees, $74,330 avg wage
- TN: 720 employees, $44,700 avg wage
- LA: 670 employees, $40,950 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,320 employees, $73,230 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 490 employees, $63,890 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 420 employees, $85,020 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 310 employees, $50,100 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 280 employees, $68,500 avg wage
- Pittsburgh, PA: 270 employees, $55,690 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 260 employees, $50,830 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 260 employees, $61,180 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 250 employees, $47,020 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 220 employees, $46,050 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Diversity
Demographic information on Meter Readers, Utilities in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Meter Readers, Utilities in 2023 was 19,620 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Meter Readers, Utilities in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Meter Readers, Utilities workers.
Education level distribution for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Skills
Meter Readers, Utilities need many skills, but most especially Time Management, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Service Orientation, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Meter Readers, Utilities include Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Mathematics, Mechanical.
Knowledge areas required for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Meter Readers, Utilities include Near Vision, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Information Ordering, Perceptual Speed.
Required abilities for Meter Readers, Utilities.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Meter Readers, Utilities.
Daily Activities
Meter Readers, Utilities spend their time on activities such as Documenting/Recording Information, Getting Information, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates.
Most important work activities for Meter Readers, Utilities.
About
Meter Readers, Utilities
The average yearly wage for Meter Readers, Utilities was $80,262 in 2023.
SOC Code
43-5041 - Meter Readers, Utilities
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Meter Readers, Utilities reports an average salary of $80,262.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 19,620 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -10.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.