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Hiring a meter reader in Charlotte, NC

Employers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area pay meter readers, utilities a median of $45,980, with the middle half of the market between $40,340 and $56,320. Charlotte residents working in office and administrative support occupations report a median of $42,041, which is 9% below what the metro pays for this role.

What does a meter reader earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile$40,340
Median$45,980
75th percentile$56,320

Half of meter readers, utilities in this area earn between $40,340 and $56,320. A band set below $40,340 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Charlotte residents earn

$42,041

Median earnings of Charlotte residents working in office and administrative support occupations, 49,459 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 9% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

The two sit close together, so pay alone is unlikely to be what wins or loses this hire.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

  • Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 43-5041.

Tools and technologies in demand

Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Billing software.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Charlotte?

This is a job zone two: some preparation needed occupation. These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 47.4% of Charlotte adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Charlotte commute runs 25 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 25.5% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Mecklenburg County, administrative and support services employs 66,516 and turns over 15.1% a quarter, with 21,092 hires against 21,232 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $5,059 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 56.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about meter readers, utilities. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a high-churn market, where speed matters more than a perfect fit.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $9,196 to $13,794 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.

Hiring a meter reader somewhere else?

Same role, different market. The wage band moves with the metro.

Other office and administrative support roles in Charlotte

Related

Charlotte is the largest of 6 North Carolina cities in this dataset.