Career profile for Meter Technician

What does a Meter Technician do?

Meter Technicians read meter and record consumption of electricity, gas, water, or steam.

What kind of tasks does a Meter Technician perform regularly?

Meter Technicians are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers.
Upload into office computers all information collected on hand-held computers during meter rounds, or return route books or hand-held computers to business offices so that data can be compiled.
Walk or drive vehicles along established routes to take readings of meter dials.
Inspect meters for unauthorized connections, defects, and damage, such as broken seals.
Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations.
Report to service departments any problems, such as meter irregularities, damaged equipment, or impediments to meter access, including dogs.
Leave messages to arrange different times to read meters in cases in which meters are not accessible.
Connect and disconnect utility services at specific locations.
Answer customers' questions about services and charges, or direct them to customer service centers.
Update client address and meter location information.
Perform preventative maintenance or minor repairs on machines.

The above responsibilities are specific to Meter Technicians. More generally, Meter Technicians are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Documenting/Recording Information		Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment		Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Performing General Physical Activities		Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Documenting/Recording Information

Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.

Performing General Physical Activities

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

What is a Meter Technician salary?

The median salary for a Meter Technician is $41,940, and the average salary is $46,160. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Meter Technician salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Meter Technicians earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Meter Technicians earn less than $26,390 per year, 25% earn less than $32,090, 75% earn less than $58,440, and 90% earn less than $73,570.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Meter Technicians is expected to change by -8.5%, and there should be roughly 1,700 open positions for Meter Technicians every year.

Median annual salary: $41,940
Typical salary range: $26,390 - $73,570
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): -8.5%

What personality traits are common among Meter Technicians?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Meter Technician are usually higher in their Conventional and Realistic interests.

Meter Technicians typically have very strong Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Also, Meter Technicians typically have strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Meter Technician tend to value Working Conditions, Independence, and Support.

Most importantly, Meter Technicians moderately value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Second, Meter Technicians moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Lastly, Meter Technicians somewhat value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Meter Technicians must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, cooperation, and self-control.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Meter Technicians, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Self-Control		Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Initiative		Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Self-Control

Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Initiative

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

What education and training do Meter Technicians need?

Working as a Meter Technician usually requires a high school diploma.

Meter Technicians need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Meter Technicians

2.9% did not complete high school or secondary school
46.9% completed high school or secondary school
30.4% completed some college coursework
14.5% earned a Associate's degree
4.2% earned a Bachelor's degree
1.1% earned a Master's degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Meter Technicians

Meter Technicians may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as customer and personal service, public safety and security, or mathematics knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Meter Technicians might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Public Safety and Security		Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Computers and Electronics		Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Public Safety and Security

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Computers and Electronics

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Important Abilities needed by Meter Technicians

Meter Technicians must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Meter Technicians need abilities such as near vision, oral comprehension, and oral expression in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Meter Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Information Ordering		The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Perceptual Speed		The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Information Ordering

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Perceptual Speed

The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.

Critical Skills needed by Meter Technicians

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Meter Technicians frequently use skills like reading comprehension, active listening, and speaking to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Meter Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Service Orientation		Actively looking for ways to help people.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Meter Technician

Meter Technician

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