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Role hub · Meter Readers, Utilities

Meter Reader: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

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Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of meter readers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$48,150
Hourly
$23.15
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Meter Readers read meter and record consumption of electricity, gas, water, or steam. The median pay is $48,150 a year ($23.15 an hour) (BLS, May 2025).

Median pay
$48,150
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
19,430
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 1-2 of 5
very little to some preparation

Data Government data groups this job as Meter Readers, Utilities (O*NET-SOC 43-5041.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Key facts

Meter Readers at a glance

  • Workers in the BLS occupation “Meter Readers, Utilities” in the United States earned a median annual wage of $48,150 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for workers in the BLS occupation “Meter Readers, Utilities” in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of workers in the BLS occupation “Meter Readers, Utilities” in the United States to decline 10.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,400 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 19,430 people were employed in the BLS occupation “Meter Readers, Utilities” in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

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The work

What meter readers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers.
  2. Upload into office computers all information collected on hand-held computers during meter rounds, or return route books or hand-held computers to business offices so that data can be compiled.
  3. Walk or drive vehicles along established routes to take readings of meter dials.
  4. Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations.
  5. Install new or replace broken meters.
  6. Inspect meters for unauthorized connections, defects, and damage, such as broken seals.
  7. Perform preventative maintenance or minor repairs on meters.
  8. Answer customers' questions about services and charges, or direct them to customer service centers.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all meter reader jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals48.8% of all jobs in this occupation · -11.7% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $51,080
  2. Utilities33.1% of all jobs in this occupation · -8.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $67,590
  3. Administrative and support services14.3% of all jobs in this occupation · -12.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $41,900
  4. Heavy and civil engineering construction1.5% of all jobs in this occupation · -10.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $42,750

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Operations MonitoringcoreSpeakingcoreCritical ThinkingcoreOperation and ControlTime ManagementReading ComprehensionActive ListeningService OrientationComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics, Public Safety and Security, Mathematics.

Tools and technology

Software meter readers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Billing softwareBilling and invoicing software
  • Geographic information system GIS systemsGeographic information system
  • Graphing softwareCharting software
  • Mapping softwareMap creation software
  • Meter reading softwareData base reporting software
  • Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA softwareIndustrial control software
  • Microsoft Office softwareOffice suite softwareIn demand
  • Microsoft AccessData base user interface and query softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft OutlookElectronic mail softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft PowerPointPresentation softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft WindowsOperating system softwareHot technology

Also called: Field Technician (Field Tech), Meter Reading Clerk, Meter Service Technician (Meter Service Tech), Meter Service Worker, Meter Technician (Meter Tech).

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.