Pay by state · 40 states
Utility Meter Reader Salary by State (2026)
Meter Readers, Utilities earn the most in California at $79,040 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $30,440 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $48,150. All 40 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $79,040California
- National median
- $48,150BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $30,440Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 40of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Utility Meter Reader salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of meter readers, utilities OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $79,040 | $62,540 | $99,180 | 810 | $71,387 |
| 2 | PAPennsylvania | $78,450 | $47,740 | $83,350 | 860 | $80,402 |
| 3 | NVNevada | $76,120 | $48,920 | $95,730 | 160 | $76,136 |
| 4 | MNMinnesota | $73,930 | $57,550 | $83,990 | 120 | $74,964 |
| 5 | COColorado | $66,550 | $59,630 | $84,450 | 150 | $64,579 |
| 6 | WAWashington | $65,900 | $59,990 | $78,970 | 390 | $61,581 |
| 7 | CTConnecticut | $64,180 | $59,830 | $96,000 | 140 | $61,944 |
| 8 | OROregon | $63,660 | $50,220 | $74,690 | 120 | $61,590 |
| 9 | NJNew Jersey | $63,030 | $52,290 | $83,870 | 870 | $57,929 |
| 10 | AKAlaska | $62,690 | $30,520 | $90,550 | 40 | $61,245 |
| 11 | WYWyoming | $61,470 | $58,330 | $68,970 | 50 | $66,317 |
| 12 | IAIowa | $60,940 | $50,380 | $71,090 | 120 | $69,438 |
| 13 | MIMichigan | $60,870 | $53,130 | $63,940 | 270 | $63,263 |
| 14 | ILIllinois | $60,690 | $35,530 | $80,830 | 570 | $60,716 |
| 15 | WVWest Virginia | $59,430 | $42,120 | $73,680 | 280 | $66,404 |
| 16 | DEDelaware | $58,240 | $45,020 | $77,280 | 30 | $58,352 |
| 17 | NYNew York | $56,960 | $46,960 | $66,030 | 930 | $52,779 |
| 18 | RIRhode Island | $56,830 | $53,600 | $58,740 | 40 | $55,563 |
| 19 | MAMassachusetts | $54,150 | $47,000 | $72,780 | 300 | $51,202 |
| 20 | HIHawaii | $51,910 | $40,910 | $65,700 | 50 | $47,212 |
| 21 | KSKansas | $49,870 | $37,300 | $56,180 | 80 | $55,369 |
| 22 | INIndiana | $49,200 | $40,960 | $77,320 | 330 | $52,717 |
| 23 | MOMissouri | $49,150 | $37,650 | $61,830 | 330 | $54,120 |
| 24 | NMNew Mexico | $48,530 | $41,490 | $59,590 | 350 | $52,629 |
| 25 | SCSouth Carolina | $47,850 | $39,110 | $58,280 | 410 | $51,041 |
| 26 | OHOhio | $47,780 | $44,640 | $63,300 | 1,070 | $51,501 |
| 27 | ALAlabama | $45,710 | $37,740 | $60,040 | 470 | $51,462 |
| 28 | TNTennessee | $45,210 | $38,820 | $61,000 | 860 | $49,211 |
| 29 | AZArizona | $44,760 | $38,750 | $51,940 | 360 | $44,459 |
| 30 | KYKentucky | $44,450 | $37,940 | $50,760 | 690 | $49,302 |
| 31 | VAVirginia | $44,020 | $35,560 | $50,810 | 630 | $43,539 |
| 32 | GAGeorgia | $43,140 | $38,800 | $51,360 | 670 | $44,801 |
| 33 | TXTexas | $43,030 | $37,570 | $48,690 | 1,360 | $44,335 |
| 34 | NCNorth Carolina | $41,830 | $37,380 | $47,220 | 640 | $44,346 |
| 35 | FLFlorida | $40,610 | $38,150 | $50,040 | N/A | $39,269 |
| 36 | OKOklahoma | $39,480 | $35,940 | $48,900 | 390 | $44,944 |
| 37 | LALouisiana | $37,570 | $30,540 | $45,050 | 500 | $42,593 |
| 38 | ARArkansas | $37,340 | $30,060 | $46,780 | 230 | $42,951 |
| 39 | MSMississippi | $37,120 | $29,780 | $47,840 | 600 | $42,690 |
| 40 | PRPuerto Rico | $30,440 | $24,250 | $37,360 | 160 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Meter Readers, Utilities, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $79,040, while Pennsylvania leads once prices are taken into account at $80,402.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Utility Meter Reader pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Meter Readers, Utilities the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Meter Readers, Utilities at $79,040 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Pennsylvania ($78,450) and Nevada ($76,120).
Which state pays Meter Readers, Utilities the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Meter Readers, Utilities at $30,440 a year, $48,600 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Meter Readers, Utilities earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Pennsylvania first at $80,402 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $78,450. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.