What You'll Do

  • Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers.
  • Walk or drive vehicles along established routes to take readings of meter dials.
  • 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.
  • Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations.
  • Inspect meters for unauthorized connections, defects, and damage, such as broken seals.
  • 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.
  • Update client address and meter location information.
  • 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.

Essential Skills

Speaking 3.0/5
Critical Thinking 3.0/5
Operations Monitoring 3.0/5
Reading Comprehension 2.88/5
Active Listening 2.88/5
Operation and Control 2.88/5
Time Management 2.88/5
Service Orientation 2.75/5
Monitoring 2.62/5
Complex Problem Solving 2.62/5
Active Learning 2.5/5
Judgment and Decision Making 2.5/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.

Common styles

Dependability, Attention to Detail, Integrity, Cautiousness, Self-Control

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Near Vision 4.0/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.12/5
Far Vision 3.12/5
Oral Comprehension 3.0/5
Oral Expression 3.0/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.0/5
Information Ordering 3.0/5
Perceptual Speed 3.0/5

Technologies & Tools

Billing software Graphing software Meter reading software Microsoft Access Microsoft Outlook Geographic information system GIS systems Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software Mapping software Microsoft Office software Microsoft Windows Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Excel Microsoft Word

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.51/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.37/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.15/5)
  • Cautiousness (High importance: 3.8/5)
  • Self-Control (High importance: 3.57/5)

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How to Become One

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful but is usually not required. Training is often provided on the job.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Electric Meter Reader Field Technician (Field Tech) Gas Meter Reader Meter Installer Meter Reader Meter Reading Clerk Meter Record Clerk Meter Service Representative (Meter Service Rep) Meter Service Technician (Meter Service Tech) Meter Service Worker Meter Technician (Meter Tech) Meterman Service Worker Steam Meter Reader Utilities Technician (Utilities Tech) Utility Locator Utility Meter Technician (Utility Meter Tech) Utility Service Worker Utility Technician (Utility Tech) Utility Worker Water Inspector Water Meter Reader Water Use Inspector

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.