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Vending machine operator

Also called laundrette operator, photo booth operator, vending route operator

Vending machine operators remove cash, conduct visual inspections of the machine, provide basic maintenance and refill goods sold for vending and other coin-operated machines.

Will there be jobs?Yes, good prospects39 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Refuse workers and other elementary workersWhat does it pay?Below averageFrom about €700 (Bulgaria) to €4,000 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Refuse workers and other elementary workersWhat do I need to study?Basic schooling4 in 10 have basic schooling only. 7 in 10 train through vocational routes.Refuse workers and other elementary workersWill AI change it?In some tasksLevel 3 of 6. AI could take on a large part of 1 of the 7 main tasks.Meter readers and vending-machine collectors · ILO

What you'd do

Meter readers and vending-machine collectors · ILO
  • Filling storage areas of vending machines and collecting money from their containers
  • Collecting money from parking meters and similar coinboxes
  • Reading electricity, gas or water meters and recording consumption
  • Keeping records of merchandise distributed and money collected
  • Proceeding along established routes to take readings of meter dials
  • Verifying readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations
  • Inspecting meters for unauthorized connections, defects and damage such as broken seals
Maintain operations of vending machinesChange shelf labelsCarry out stock rotationAdjust temperature gaugesKeep task records+ 1 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors and outdoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Lots of contact with people, including the public
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Often more than 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines now and then
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Coin, Vending, and Amusement Machine Servicers and Repairers"

Will there be jobs?

Yes, good prospects

Many jobs will need filling by 2035.

People working as refuse workers and other elementary workers in the EU
2.04m2.13m2.42m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
247,000 new jobs 599,000 replacing leavers
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Refuse workers and other elementary workers39
All jobs29
Right now
4 of 27 countries report a shortage of meter readers and vending-machine collectors, 5 a surplus.
Meter readers and vending-machine collectors · EURES

What does it pay?

Below average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €700 a month (Bulgaria) to €4,000 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among elementary occupations in the EU, women earn 9% less per hour than men. Elementary occupations · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Basic schooling

Most people start with basic schooling and learn on the job.

Highest qualification of refuse workers and other elementary workers (EU, 2025)
Degree 7%Vocational 36%General secondary 13%Basic schooling 44%
Field that teaches it
Food processing
Vocational route, EU
7 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

In some tasks

AI could take on a large part of 1 of the 7 main tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.38 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 7 tasks
Reading electricity, gas or water meters and recording consumption0.75
Keeping records of merchandise distributed and money collected0.58
Verifying readings in cases where consumption appears to be abnormal, and record possible reasons for fluctuations0.35
Proceeding along established routes to take readings of meter dials0.32
Inspecting meters for unauthorized connections, defects and damage such as broken seals0.27
Collecting money from parking meters and similar coinboxes0.19
Filling storage areas of vending machines and collecting money from their containers0.18

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for meter readers and vending-machine collectors. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).