Meter Readers, Utilities Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for meter readers, utilitiess across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$79,610
- Washington$73,150
- Nevada$72,100
- Pennsylvania$71,010
- Connecticut$69,880
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$38,430
- Arkansas$40,470
- Mississippi$40,580
- Texas$44,680
- North Carolina$44,720
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $79,610 | $79,040 | $38 | +43.8% | 810 |
| 2 | Washington | $73,150 | $65,900 | $35 | +32.1% | 390 |
| 3 | Nevada | $72,100 | $76,120 | $35 | +30.2% | 160 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $71,010 | $78,450 | $34 | +28.2% | 860 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $69,880 | $64,180 | $34 | +26.2% | 140 |
| 6 | Colorado | $69,740 | $66,550 | $34 | +25.9% | 150 |
| 7 | Minnesota | $68,300 | $73,930 | $33 | +23.3% | 120 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $67,780 | $63,030 | $33 | +22.4% | 870 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $66,840 | $61,470 | $32 | +20.7% | 50 |
| 10 | Delaware | $64,240 | $58,240 | $31 | +16% | 30 |
| 11 | New York | $64,020 | $56,960 | $31 | +15.6% | 930 |
| 12 | Michigan | $62,870 | $60,870 | $30 | +13.5% | 270 |
| 13 | Illinois | $62,280 | $60,690 | $30 | +12.5% | 570 |
| 14 | Alaska | $62,030 | $62,690 | $30 | +12% | 40 |
| 15 | Oregon | $61,440 | $63,660 | $30 | +10.9% | 120 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $61,110 | $54,150 | $29 | +10.3% | 300 |
| 17 | Iowa | $58,550 | $60,940 | $28 | +5.7% | 120 |
| 18 | West Virginia | $58,430 | $59,430 | $28 | +5.5% | 280 |
| 19 | Indiana | $58,170 | $49,200 | $28 | +5% | 330 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $57,980 | $56,830 | $28 | +4.7% | 40 |
| 21 | Ohio | $56,420 | $47,780 | $27 | +1.9% | 1,070 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $55,160 | $51,910 | $27 | -0.4% | 50 |
| 23 | Missouri | $54,590 | $49,150 | $26 | -1.4% | 330 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $51,790 | $48,530 | $25 | -6.5% | 350 |
| 25 | Alabama | $49,940 | $45,710 | $24 | -9.8% | 470 |
| 26 | Tennessee | $48,930 | $45,210 | $24 | -11.6% | 860 |
| 27 | Arizona | $48,880 | $44,760 | $24 | -11.7% | 360 |
| 28 | Kansas | $48,660 | $49,870 | $23 | -12.1% | 80 |
| 29 | Florida | $47,960 | $40,610 | $23 | -13.4% | — |
| 30 | South Carolina | $47,910 | $47,850 | $23 | -13.5% | 410 |
| 31 | Georgia | $47,200 | $43,140 | $23 | -14.8% | 670 |
| 32 | Kentucky | $47,050 | $44,450 | $23 | -15% | 690 |
| 33 | Virginia | $45,090 | $44,020 | $22 | -18.6% | 630 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $45,060 | $39,480 | $22 | -18.6% | 390 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $44,720 | $41,830 | $22 | -19.2% | 640 |
| 36 | Texas | $44,680 | $43,030 | $21 | -19.3% | 1,360 |
| 37 | Mississippi | $40,580 | $37,120 | $20 | -26.7% | 600 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $40,470 | $37,340 | $19 | -26.9% | 230 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $38,430 | $37,570 | $18 | -30.6% | 500 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 163 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $100,480 | $98,850 | 140 |
| 2 | Reno, NV | $89,460 | $82,320 | 40 |
| 3 | Omaha, NE-IA | $87,320 | $83,350 | 60 |
| 4 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $83,350 | $74,140 | 400 |
| 5 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $82,420 | $79,570 | 60 |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $80,180 | $77,240 | 250 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | $78,290 | $71,740 | 250 |
| 8 | Cleveland, OH | $77,660 | $74,450 | 90 |
| 9 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $75,830 | $76,850 | 130 |
| 10 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $75,140 | $74,020 | 210 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing meter readers, utilitiess (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | $75,250 | $71,520 | 330 |
| 2 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $75,120 | $75,880 | 3,320 |
| 3 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $64,880 | $66,600 | — |
| 4 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | $64,880 | $66,600 | — |
| 5 | Sector 55 - Management of Companies and Enterprises | $64,880 | $66,600 | — |
| 6 | Utilities | $63,190 | $67,590 | 6,470 |
| 7 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $63,190 | $67,590 | 6,470 |
| 8 | Natural Gas Distribution | $61,340 | $64,260 | 1,530 |
| 9 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $51,490 | $59,390 | 10,060 |
| 10 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $51,160 | $50,500 | — |
| 11 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $51,160 | $50,500 | — |
| 12 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $48,150 | $55,380 | 19,430 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do meter readers, utilities make in the U.S.?
The median meter readers, utilities salary in the United States is $48,150 per year (mean $55,380), and about 80% earn between $34,720 and $85,930.
How much do meter readers, utilities make per hour?
Roughly $27 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $55,380 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays meter readers, utilities the most?
California has the highest average pay for meter readers, utilities at $79,610 per year (median $79,040).
What is the job outlook for meter readers, utilities?
Employment is projected to change -12% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 1,300 openings per year.