Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

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)
40,630 2.1 % $18.17 $37,800 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $10.39 $12.97 $17.02 $22.39 $28.47
Annual Wage (2) $21,610 $26,980 $35,400 $46,580 $59,220


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 (OES Designation) 16,370 0.30 $16.90 $35,140
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 9,380 2.37 $20.70 $43,060
Natural Gas Distribution 5,900 5.44 $20.83 $43,330
Other Support Services 4,310 1.51 $15.05 $31,300
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 2,470 5.19 $16.57 $34,470

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natural Gas Distribution 5,900 5.44 $20.83 $43,330
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 2,470 5.19 $16.57 $34,470
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 9,380 2.37 $20.70 $43,060
Other Support Services 4,310 1.51 $15.05 $31,300
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 130 0.47 $20.95 $43,580

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas 130 0.47 $20.95 $43,580
Natural Gas Distribution 5,900 5.44 $20.83 $43,330
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 9,380 2.37 $20.70 $43,060
Management of Companies and Enterprises 460 0.02 $19.80 $41,190
Local Government (OES Designation) 16,370 0.30 $16.90 $35,140


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)
California 4,820 0.34 1.08 $23.18 $48,220
Texas 3,900 0.38 1.20 $14.23 $29,600
Georgia 2,330 0.62 1.95 $15.42 $32,060
Ohio 1,750 0.35 1.11 $16.94 $35,240
New York 1,700 0.20 0.64 $22.13 $46,030




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)
West Virginia 490 0.69 2.19 $14.47 $30,090
Mississippi 700 0.65 2.06 $13.40 $27,870
Georgia 2,330 0.62 1.95 $15.42 $32,060
Idaho 350 0.59 1.86 $19.73 $41,040
Louisiana 1,040 0.56 1.78 $13.63 $28,350




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 820 0.26 0.82 $27.37 $56,940
Alaska 110 0.34 1.06 $23.65 $49,190
Connecticut 130 0.08 0.25 $23.57 $49,020
New Jersey 1,270 0.34 1.06 $23.55 $48,980
California 4,820 0.34 1.08 $23.18 $48,220





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-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 1,230 0.24 0.77 $22.30 $46,380
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 1,220 0.55 1.74 $15.66 $32,580
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 1,060 0.28 0.87 $21.84 $45,420
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 950 0.56 1.77 $16.99 $35,350
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 770 0.22 0.68 $19.90 $41,390
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 760 0.37 1.18 $14.27 $29,670
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 590 0.52 1.63 $20.91 $43,500
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, CA 580 0.47 1.48 $21.36 $44,420
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 540 0.21 0.67 $15.94 $33,160
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 530 0.32 1.00 $29.93 $62,260




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)
Morristown, TN 110 2.59 8.17 $13.31 $27,690
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 140 1.45 4.58 $25.00 $52,010
Owensboro, KY 70 1.38 4.35 $17.73 $36,890
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 460 1.38 4.36 $13.19 $27,440
Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV 40 0.91 2.88 $12.60 $26,220
Monroe, LA 70 0.91 2.86 $12.86 $26,750
Chattanooga, TN-GA 200 0.91 2.86 $13.44 $27,960
Longview, TX 80 0.85 2.69 $14.55 $30,260
Lawton, OK 40 0.85 2.68 $11.04 $22,960
Florence, SC 70 0.83 2.63 $11.80 $24,550




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 180 0.20 0.64 $31.07 $64,620
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 530 0.32 1.00 $29.93 $62,260
Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown, NY 80 0.34 1.08 $28.44 $59,150
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 30 0.28 0.88 $27.84 $57,900
Salinas, CA 90 0.58 1.84 $26.35 $54,810
Merced, CA 40 0.76 2.40 $25.98 $54,030
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta, CA 90 0.51 1.62 $25.61 $53,270
Redding, CA 40 0.61 1.93 $25.57 $53,190
Manchester, NH (8) (8) (8) $25.29 $52,610
Springfield, MA-CT (8) (8) (8) $25.26 $52,530

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 380 1.53 4.82 $14.75 $30,680
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 290 1.03 3.26 $13.75 $28,600
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 240 1.42 4.50 $11.84 $24,620
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 220 1.67 5.27 $12.61 $26,220
South Illinois nonmetropolitan area 200 1.37 4.33 $16.52 $34,370

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

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area 220 1.67 5.27 $12.61 $26,220
Northwestern Texas nonmetropolitan area 380 1.53 4.82 $14.75 $30,680
Northwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 150 1.45 4.57 $11.19 $23,270
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 180 1.42 4.50 $14.63 $30,430
South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 240 1.42 4.50 $11.84 $24,620

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $25.23 $52,490
East Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 60 0.25 0.80 $23.44 $48,760
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 60 0.69 2.19 $23.42 $48,710
Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area 40 0.24 0.75 $23.25 $48,350
West Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 50 0.32 1.02 $23.06 $47,960


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012