SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Read meter and record consumption of electricity, gas, water, or steam.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 43-5041.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $34,720 | $2,893 | $668 | $16.69 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $39,410 | $3,284 | $758 | $18.95 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $48,150 | $4,012 | $926 | $23.15 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $65,750 | $5,479 | $1,264 | $31.61 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $85,930 | $7,161 | $1,652 | $41.31 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Meter Readers, Utilities is $48,150, which is 6% lower. Among the 54 occupations of the field Office and Administrative Support, it ranks number 29 by median pay. With 19,430 jobs, it makes up about 1.2 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($55,380) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Meter Readers, Utilities pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($79,040), Pennsylvania ($78,450) and Nevada ($76,120). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($30,440), Mississippi ($37,120) and Arkansas ($37,340). The most jobs were in Texas (1,360), Ohio (1,070) and New York (930). The occupation is most concentrated in Mississippi, where its share of all jobs is 4.1 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 810 | $79,040 | $79,610 | $38.00 |
| Pennsylvania | 860 | $78,450 | $71,010 | $37.72 |
| Nevada | 160 | $76,120 | $72,100 | $36.60 |
| Minnesota | 120 | $73,930 | $68,300 | $35.54 |
| Colorado | 150 | $66,550 | $69,740 | $32.00 |
| Washington | 390 | $65,900 | $73,150 | $31.68 |
| Connecticut | 140 | $64,180 | $69,880 | $30.86 |
| Oregon | 120 | $63,660 | $61,440 | $30.61 |
| New Jersey | 870 | $63,030 | $67,780 | $30.31 |
| Alaska | 40 | $62,690 | $62,030 | $30.14 |
| Wyoming | 50 | $61,470 | $66,840 | $29.55 |
| Iowa | 120 | $60,940 | $58,550 | $29.30 |
| Michigan | 270 | $60,870 | $62,870 | $29.27 |
| Illinois | 570 | $60,690 | $62,280 | $29.18 |
| West Virginia | 280 | $59,430 | $58,430 | $28.57 |
| Delaware | 30 | $58,240 | $64,240 | $28.00 |
| New York | 930 | $56,960 | $64,020 | $27.38 |
| Rhode Island | 40 | $56,830 | $57,980 | $27.32 |
| Massachusetts | 300 | $54,150 | $61,110 | $26.03 |
| Hawaii | 50 | $51,910 | $55,160 | $24.96 |
| Kansas | 80 | $49,870 | $48,660 | $23.97 |
| Indiana | 330 | $49,200 | $58,170 | $23.66 |
| Missouri | 330 | $49,150 | $54,590 | $23.63 |
| New Mexico | 350 | $48,530 | $51,790 | $23.33 |
| South Carolina | 410 | $47,850 | $47,910 | $23.01 |
| Ohio | 1,070 | $47,780 | $56,420 | $22.97 |
| Alabama | 470 | $45,710 | $49,940 | $21.98 |
| Tennessee | 860 | $45,210 | $48,930 | $21.74 |
| Arizona | 360 | $44,760 | $48,880 | $21.52 |
| Kentucky | 690 | $44,450 | $47,050 | $21.37 |
| Virginia | 630 | $44,020 | $45,090 | $21.16 |
| Georgia | 670 | $43,140 | $47,200 | $20.74 |
| Texas | 1,360 | $43,030 | $44,680 | $20.69 |
| North Carolina | 640 | $41,830 | $44,720 | $20.11 |
| Florida | not published | $40,610 | $47,960 | $19.53 |
| Oklahoma | 390 | $39,480 | $45,060 | $18.98 |
| Louisiana | 500 | $37,570 | $38,430 | $18.06 |
| Arkansas | 230 | $37,340 | $40,470 | $17.95 |
| Mississippi | 600 | $37,120 | $40,580 | $17.85 |
| Puerto Rico | 160 | $30,440 | $33,290 | $14.64 |
| Idaho | 70 | not published | not published | not published |
| Maryland | 320 | not published | not published | not published |
| Nebraska | 90 | not published | not published | not published |
| New Hampshire | 40 | not published | not published | not published |
| Utah | 280 | not published | not published | not published |
| Wisconsin | 410 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks$49,230 a year
- Court, Municipal, and License Clerks$48,700 a year
- Billing and Posting Clerks$48,500 a year
- New Accounts Clerks$47,670 a year
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive$47,540 a year
- Bill and Account Collectors$47,030 a year
Common questions
How much do Meter Readers, Utilities earn in the United States?
The median pay was $48,150 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $34,720 and the highest-paid 10% more than $85,930.
How many people work as Meter Readers, Utilities?
About 19,430 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.