Will AI replace Meter Readers, Utilities?
AI reaches some of this job’s work, but most of it stays with people.
36/100
Moderate exposure
More exposed to AI than 53% of US workers.
- AI already used in
- 0% of the work
- As AI tools mature: up to
- 63% of the work
What the job involves
Read meter and record consumption of electricity, gas, water, or steam.
Where AI reaches the work
The job’s main tasks, heaviest first, by how far AI reaches them.
Within reach(8)
- Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations.
- Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers.
- Report to service departments any problems, such as meter irregularities, damaged equipment, or impediments to meter access, including dogs.
- Answer customers' questions about services and charges, or direct them to customer service centers.
- 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.
and 3 more
Out of reach(5)
- 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.
- Perform preventative maintenance or minor repairs on meters.
- Connect and disconnect utility services at specific locations.
- Collect past-due bills.
Also called
Water Meter Reader · Meter Reader · Meter Technician (Meter Tech) · Electric Meter Reader · Gas Meter Reader · Meter Record Clerk · Meter Tech · Meterman
Related jobs
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door7/100
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment16/100
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers25/100
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay18/100
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment26/100
What these numbers mean
The score is the share of this job’s work, weighted by how important and frequent each task is, that AI could do in half the time: tasks an AI model could do alone count in full, tasks that need software built on AI count half.
“AI already used” is the share of the work in tasks where people are recorded using AI today. “As AI tools mature” counts every task AI could halve, with or without extra software.
The percentile compares the score with every job’s, weighted by how many people in the US do each one. Exposure means AI could change how the work is done, not that the job goes away. These are estimates for the typical job, not predictions.
Sources
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
- GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs (task labels), Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), OpenAI and University of Pennsylvania
- Anthropic Economic Index: labor market impacts (task penetration), Anthropic
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national and metropolitan areas), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics