What is the salary and career path for a meter technician?
Meter technician is a broad match to Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door (SOC 49-9012), the BLS code that houses meter and regulator technicians; the OEWS May 2025 median is $74,340 a year ($35.74 an hour), from $45,910 at the 10th percentile to $112,500 at the 90th. BLS projects 1.3% employment growth for the code over 2024–2034 — slower than average — with about 3,900 openings a year. It is reached through a utility apprenticeship or metering training, not a four-year degree.
- Meter Technicians earn a national median $74,340/yr ($35.74/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9012); the top 10% clear $112,500.
- Entry is through a utility metering apprenticeship or two-year electrical program plus bench-testing experience, not a degree.
- BLS projects 1.3% growth for Control and Valve Installers and Repairers (SOC 49-9012) through 2034 — slower than average — with about 3,900 openings a year.
- Pay climbs from a meter installer near $45,910 to a metering supervisor at the $112,500 top decile.
Career Path
How do you become a meter technician?
Meter installer / apprentice
Setting and exchanging residential meters and learning the test bench; entry pay sits near the 10th percentile of $45,910.
Meter technician
Testing, calibrating and wiring self-contained and CT-rated meters around the $74,340 median for the code.
Senior / instrument metering technician
Handling complex CT/PT-rated and interval-metering installations pays toward the 75th percentile of $97,120.
Metering supervisor / AMI lead
Running a metering shop or an AMI deployment reaches the 90th percentile of $112,500.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays meter technicians the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9012. National median: $74,340. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does meter technician pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles meter technicians most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: meter technicians rank 3 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected +1.3% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly meter technicians clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9012 (meter technicians) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do meter technicians need?
Employer-sponsored apprenticeship certifying competency in meter installation, testing and CT/PT-rated wiring. See all state licences →
Qualified-worker status for electric-power distribution work, required for live-service metering.
Working knowledge of ANSI C12 accuracy and testing standards that govern revenue metering.
Vendor training (Itron, Landis+Gyr, Sensus) to commission smart-meter endpoints and communications.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do meter technicians use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 49-9012
Salary Levers
How do meter technicians earn above the $74,340 BLS median?
Instrument-transformer metering
CT/PT-rated commercial and industrial metering skill moves pay from the $45,910 entry band toward the upper percentiles.
AMI deployment expertise
Smart-meter commissioning and head-end troubleshooting command premiums above the $74,340 median.
Metering supervision
Running a metering shop or AMI program pushes senior earnings toward the $112,500 top decile.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a meter technician worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9012. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Meter Technician Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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