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What does a Meter Readers, Utilities salary really buy you in Arizona?
Arizona is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Arizona's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 99.9, meaning prices are 0.1% lower the national average. A Meter Readers, Utilities earning $44,760 in Arizona has the equivalent purchasing power of $44,804 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Arizona's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $38,170 | $38,208 | +$38 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $38,750 | $38,788 | +$38 |
| Median (P50) | $44,760 | $44,804 | +$44 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $51,940 | $51,991 | +$51 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $66,030 | $66,096 | +$66 |
Arizona's cost of living is close to the national average, so $44,760 keeps most of its value at $44,804 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 99.9, Arizona is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Meter Readers, Utilities is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living, $44,760 nominal nets out to $44,805 in real purchasing power — a small 0.1% gain. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Meter Readers, Utilities.
Arizona ranks #31 of 39 — bottom quartile for Meter Readers, Utilities real purchasing power. Relocation, employer negotiation, or remote roles at higher-paying markets tend to generate the biggest ROI.
Where does Meter Readers, Utilities salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Arizona ranks #31 out of 39 states for Meter Readers, Utilities after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Meter Readers, Utilities take-home pay in Arizona after taxes →
A Meter Readers, Utilities in Arizona earns a median salary of $44,760 per year. After adjusting for Arizona's cost of living (RPP=99.9), the real purchasing power is $44,804 — a +0.1% difference.
Arizona's cost of living is 0.1% lower than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Arizona is 99.9 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Meter Readers, Utilities in Arizona: $44,760 x (100 / 99.9) = $44,804. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
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