SOC 43-5041 · Chattanooga, TN-GA metro

Meter Readers, Utilities Salary in Chattanooga, TN

The average salary for meter readers, utilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee is $47,180 a year ($22.68 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $43,740: half of the 40 people in this job in the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 18% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($57,282).

$47,180average per year

$22.68 / hourMedian $43,740Take-home ≈ $40,089

  • $33K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $54K75th
  • $63K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
-18%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 9Tennessee metros
91cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Meter Readers, Utilities pay range in Chattanooga

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,200 a year or less, while the top 10% make $62,540 or more. The middle half of meter readers, utilities in Chattanooga earn between $36,030 and $53,950.

  • $33K10th
  • $36K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $54K75th
  • $63K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$47,180$3,932$22.68
Median$43,740$3,645$21.03
Entry level (25th percentile)$36,030$3,002$17.32
Experienced (75th percentile)$53,950$4,496$25.94

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

Meter Readers, Utilities salary after taxes in Chattanooga

On the average salary of $47,180, a single filer in Chattanooga takes home about $40,089 a year, or $3,341 a month and $1,542 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.

The Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in TN$40,089$3,341
Working in GA$38,483$3,207

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

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

Prices in the Chattanooga area are 9% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 91.5), so the average $47,180 buys what about $51,583 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Chattanooga ($46,700). A typical home costs $326,370, or 6.9 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $47,180 is worth in another city

Meter Readers, Utilities salary in other Tennessee cities

Chattanooga ranks 5th of 9 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Clarksville pays the most ($52,840).

All Meter Readers, Utilities salaries in Tennessee

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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Reviewed before it counts. Meter Readers, Utilities in Chattanooga, TN.

Meter Readers, Utilities salary in Chattanooga: questions

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

$22.68 an hour on average, and $21.03 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $33,200 a year and the 25th percentile is $36,030, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $40,089 a year ($3,341 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $47,180. Tennessee has no state income tax.

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

The average here is 18% less 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 Chattanooga, TN-GA (16860). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.9%.
  • 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 no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.17, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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