Will AI replace utilities meter readers?

Parts of the job are being automated. About 6h 25m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots already do largely on their own. The rest still needs a person. The other 1h 35m (20%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 10.5% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 4 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 6h 25m of a typical shift. 2 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here.

• Read electric, gas, water, or steam consumption meters and enter data in route books or hand-held computers. (2h 57m a shift; e.g. Spot / Orbit fleet, in use)
• Walk or drive vehicles along established routes to take readings of meter dials. (2h 44m a shift; e.g. Spot (Boston Dynamics) with Spot CAM+IR and Enhanced Autonomy Payload, in use)
• Inspect meters for unauthorized connections, defects, and damage, such as broken seals. (25m a shift; e.g. Spot, in use)
• Verify readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations. (19m a shift; e.g. Spot (Boston Dynamics) with gauge-reading/thermal payloads, in use)

1h 35m of a typical shift, or 20%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. The biggest:

• 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. (25m a shift)
• Connect and disconnect utility services at specific locations. (19m a shift)
• Report to service departments any problems, such as meter irregularities, damaged equipment, or impediments to meter access, including dogs. (13m a shift)
• Answer customers' questions about services and charges, or direct them to customer service centers. (13m a shift)
• Perform preventative maintenance or minor repairs on meters. (13m a shift)

The median pay is about $48,150 a year ($23.15 an hour), 6% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Source: BLS, May 2025.

BLS projects a decline of 10.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 18,000 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 1,400 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 19,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.01% of all workers (BLS, May 2025).

High school diploma, some training. O*NET rates this job at level 2 of 5 for preparation.

Based on official skill ratings and the tasks that stay with people:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Service Orientation, Time Management, Reading Comprehension, Speaking
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 1h 35m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list:

• Dig dirt away from meters to take readings.
• Install new or replace broken meters.

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots:

• Couriers and Messengers (5h 6m touched, $39k median pay)
• Postal Service Mail Carriers (1h 22m touched, $61k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 4 with robots in real deployments, 8 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.