Meter Readers, Utilities Salary

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 43.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,783/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new meter readers, utilities typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,054/month.

Local pay is 22% above the national median — $59K here vs. $48K nationally.

East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +22%.

The median is $58,910 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,230, and experienced meter readers, utilities can clear $71,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,114/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,783/month, which eats 43.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.

East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median meter readers, utilities salary is worth about $58,910 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.