SOC 43-5041 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Meter Readers, Utilities Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for meter readers, utilities in Riverside, California is $76,850 a year ($36.95 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $75,830: half of the 130 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 34% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($57,282).

$76,850average per year

$36.95 / hourMedian $75,830Take-home ≈ $59,818

  • $54K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $76KMedian
  • $86K75th
  • $99K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

130people in this job
+34%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 5California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Meter Readers, Utilities pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,380 a year or less, while the top 10% make $99,290 or more. The middle half of meter readers, utilities in Riverside earn between $64,170 and $86,140.

  • $54K10th
  • $64K25th
  • $76KMedian
  • $86K75th
  • $99K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$76,850$6,404$36.95
Median$75,830$6,319$36.46
Entry level (25th percentile)$64,170$5,348$30.85
Experienced (75th percentile)$86,140$7,178$41.41

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Meter Readers, Utilities salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $76,850, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $59,818 a year, or $4,985 a month and $2,301 every two weeks. Taxes take 22% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

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Is Riverside a good place for meter readers, utilities? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $76,850 buys what about $72,199 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 7.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $76,850 is worth in another city

Meter Readers, Utilities salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 3rd of 5 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($98,850).

All Meter Readers, Utilities salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for meter readers, utilities

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($98,850).

Meter Readers, Utilities salary by city

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Meter Readers, Utilities salary in Riverside: questions

How much do meter readers, utilities make an hour in Riverside?

$36.95 an hour on average, and $36.46 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level meter readers, utilities salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $54,380 a year and the 25th percentile is $64,170, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the meter readers, utilities take-home pay in Riverside?

About $59,818 a year ($4,985 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $76,850. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do meter readers, utilities earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is 34% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($57,282).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 43-5041; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.2%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.59, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.59).

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