Meter Readers, Utilities
What Meter Readers, Utilities Do
Read meter and record consumption of electricity, gas, water, or steam.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.7/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.5/5
- English Languageimportance 3.4/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.1/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.9/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 2.9/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.6/5
- Administrativeimportance 2.5/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions5.0/5
- Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures4.6/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.6/5
- In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment4.4/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
- Exposed to Contaminants4.2/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Radiologic Technologists and Technicians94% skill match
- Log Graders and Scalers94% skill match
- Bus Drivers, School94% skill match
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops94% skill match
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand93% skill match
- Parking Enforcement Workers93% skill match
- Couriers and Messengers93% skill match
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers93% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.9/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.9/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.6/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Billing software
- Geographic information system GIS systems
- Graphing software
- Mapping software
- Meter reading software
- Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
- Self-Control
- Perseverance
- Stress Tolerance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- ConventionalHigh
- RealisticMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where meter readers, utilities make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Johnson City, TN5.06× national avg
- 2Jackson, TN4.38× national avg
- 3Gulfport-Biloxi, MS4.07× national avg
- 4Knoxville, TN3.43× national avg
- 5Jackson, MS2.93× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive FirersCareer Change
- Bridge and Lock TendersCareer Change
- Couriers and MessengersLateral Move
- Fiberglass Laminators and FabricatorsCareer Change