Meter Readers, Utilities
Office and Administrative Support Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 43-5041.00
Read meter and record consumption of electricity, gas, water, or steam.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.38
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Exposed tasks only13 rated tasks · 7 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (53.8%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers.43-5041.00 | 0.0019100.0 |
| Not observed on any surface — 11 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states. | |
Walk or drive vehicles along established routes to take readings of meter dials. | —0 |
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. | —0 |
Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations. | —0 |
Inspect meters for unauthorized connections, defects, and damage such as broken seals. | —0 |
Report to service departments any problems such as meter irregularities, damaged equipment, or impediments to meter access, including dogs. | —0 |
Answer customers' questions about services and charges, or direct them to customer service centers. | —0 |
Update client address and meter location information. | —0 |
Leave messages to arrange different times to read meters in cases in which meters are not accessible. | —0 |
Connect and disconnect utility services at specific locations. | —0 |
Collect past-due bills. | —0 |
Report lost or broken keys. | —0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
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.O*NET Task ID 11311 | 1.0 |
Answer customers' questions about services and charges, or direct them to customer service centers.O*NET Task ID 11315 | 1.0 |
Update client address and meter location information.O*NET Task ID 11316 | 1.0 |
Leave messages to arrange different times to read meters in cases in which meters are not accessible.O*NET Task ID 11317 | 1.0 |
Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers.O*NET Task ID 11309 | 0.5 |
Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations.O*NET Task ID 11312 | 0.5 |
Collect past-due bills.O*NET Task ID 11319 | 0.5 |
Walk or drive vehicles along established routes to take readings of meter dials.O*NET Task ID 11310 | 0.0 |
Inspect meters for unauthorized connections, defects, and damage, such as broken seals.O*NET Task ID 11313 | 0.0 |
Report to service departments any problems, such as meter irregularities, damaged equipment, or impediments to meter access, including dogs.O*NET Task ID 11314 | 0.0 |
Connect and disconnect utility services at specific locations.O*NET Task ID 11318 | 0.0 |
Report lost or broken keys.O*NET Task ID 11320 | 0.0 |
Perform preventative maintenance or minor repairs on meters.O*NET Task ID 20904 | 0.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (15)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers. | Core |
| Walk or drive vehicles along established routes to take readings of meter dials. | Core |
| 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. | Core |
| Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations. | Core |
| Inspect meters for unauthorized connections, defects, and damage, such as broken seals. | Core |
| Report to service departments any problems, such as meter irregularities, damaged equipment, or impediments to meter access, including dogs. | Core |
| Answer customers' questions about services and charges, or direct them to customer service centers. | Core |
| Leave messages to arrange different times to read meters in cases in which meters are not accessible. | Core |
| Report lost or broken keys. | Core |
| Perform preventative maintenance or minor repairs on meters. | Core |
| Install new or replace broken meters. | Core |
| Dig dirt away from meters to take readings. | Core |
| Update client address and meter location information. | Supplemental |
| Connect and disconnect utility services at specific locations. | Supplemental |
| Collect past-due bills. | Supplemental |
1.67/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers. | E2 structured facilities |
| Walk or drive vehicles along established routes to take readings of meter dials. | E2 structured facilities |
| Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations. | E2 structured facilities |
| Inspect meters for unauthorized connections, defects, and damage, such as broken seals. | E2 structured facilities |
| Connect and disconnect utility services at specific locations. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Perform preventative maintenance or minor repairs on meters. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 20K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 18K
- Change (2025–35)
- -10.5%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $48,150
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99211 | 계기 검침원 | Same scope | confirmed |
| 99212 | 가스 점검원 | Overlapping, not the same | reviewed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 9623Meter Readers and Vending-machine Collectors
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Meter readers and vending-machine collectors stock vending machines and collect money from them or from parking meters and other coin-boxes, or read electricity, gas or water meters.
Tasks
- (a) filling storage areas of vending machines and collecting money from their containers;
- (b) collecting money from parking meters and similar coinboxes;
- (c) reading electricity, gas or water meters and recording consumption;
- (d) keeping records of merchandise distributed and money collected;
- (e) proceeding along established routes to take readings of meter dials;
- (f) verifying readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations;
- (g) inspecting meters for unauthorized connections, defects and damage such as broken seals.
Example occupations
Meter reader · Vending machine collector
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- meter readerESCO 9623.1Same scope
Meter readers visit residential and business or industrial buildings and facilities in order to note down the readings of the meters which measure gas, water, electricity and other utility uses. They forward the results to the client and to the supplier.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| N4110 | Releveur / Releveuse de compteurs | Same scopeprovisional |
| F1627 | Poseur / Poseuse de compteurs | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 9434 | Lectores de contadores y recaudadores de máquinas recreativas y expendedoras | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 25131 | Technische Servicekräfte in Wartung und Instandhaltung - Helfer-/Anlerntätigkeiten | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 299 | その他の外勤事務従事者 | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources