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Occupational Employment Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

43-5041 Meter Readers, Utilities

Read meter and record consumption of electricity, gas, water, or steam.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
33,570 3.9 % $21.46 $44,640 1.1 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $11.83 $14.43 $19.40 $26.84 $34.15
Annual Wage (2) $24,600 $30,010 $40,360 $55,820 $71,040

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 13,190 0.24 $20.08 $41,770
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 6,900 1.76 $26.57 $55,260
Natural Gas Distribution 2,740 2.50 $27.81 $57,850
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 2,040 3.96 $18.43 $38,340
Employment Services 890 0.02 $18.49 $38,450

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 2,040 3.96 $18.43 $38,340
Natural Gas Distribution 2,740 2.50 $27.81 $57,850
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 6,900 1.76 $26.57 $55,260
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 80 0.28 $22.06 $45,890
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 13,190 0.24 $20.08 $41,770

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natural Gas Distribution 2,740 2.50 $27.81 $57,850
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 6,900 1.76 $26.57 $55,260
Management of Companies and Enterprises 260 0.01 $22.38 $46,560
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 80 0.28 $22.06 $45,890
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation) 13,190 0.24 $20.08 $41,770

Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 2,770 0.23 0.99 $16.16 $33,610
Indiana 2,210 0.73 3.13 $20.06 $41,730
California 2,080 0.12 0.53 $29.33 $61,010
Georgia 1,810 0.41 1.78 $18.02 $37,480
Ohio 1,720 0.32 1.37 $21.67 $45,070




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Louisiana 1,390 0.73 3.14 $13.34 $27,740
Indiana 2,210 0.73 3.13 $20.06 $41,730
West Virginia 440 0.63 2.72 $19.25 $40,040
Arkansas 730 0.61 2.61 $14.03 $29,180
Mississippi 640 0.57 2.45 $14.55 $30,260




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 570 0.16 0.69 $29.59 $61,540
California 2,080 0.12 0.53 $29.33 $61,010
Colorado 440 0.17 0.73 $28.91 $60,130
New York 1,160 0.12 0.53 $28.69 $59,670
Connecticut 160 0.09 0.41 $28.48 $59,240





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,770 0.19 0.80 (8) (8)
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 1,630 1.57 6.76 $19.82 $41,230
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 770 0.13 0.54 $27.87 $57,960
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 630 0.23 1.01 $19.92 $41,420
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 560 0.12 0.52 $28.70 $59,700
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 510 0.17 0.74 $16.02 $33,320
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 500 0.24 1.05 $25.49 $53,020
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 480 0.14 0.59 $16.76 $34,860
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 450 0.23 0.97 $23.63 $49,140
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 450 0.16 0.68 $28.16 $58,570




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Beckley, WV 100 2.30 9.91 $19.31 $40,170
Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN 1,630 1.57 6.76 $19.82 $41,230
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 180 1.14 4.92 $15.35 $31,930
Alexandria, LA 70 1.09 4.71 $13.99 $29,100
Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 40 0.85 3.65 $23.41 $48,680
Valdosta, GA 40 0.84 3.63 $13.03 $27,100
Monroe, LA 60 0.79 3.40 $13.13 $27,300
Macon, GA 70 0.70 3.00 $18.36 $38,180
Abilene, TX 40 0.65 2.80 $14.12 $29,370
Wichita, KS 190 0.63 2.72 $18.70 $38,890