Also called: NDT Inspector, Ultrasonic Testing Technician
Uses ultrasound, X-rays, magnets and dyes to find hidden cracks in welds, pipelines and airplane parts without damaging them.
You slide an ultrasound probe along a pipeline weld, watching a screen for the tiny blip that means a crack. On another job you X-ray welds inside a power plant and read the film for flaws.
Travel jobs and pipeline work pay more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. High school plus NDT training and ASNT Level I/II certification; military training is common.
Ways in: Certification, Trade school, Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Nondestructive Testing Technology.
Growing faster than average.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI and robot crawlers read more scans on pipelines and planes; climbing to inspect welds in tough spots stays human.
Classes: Physics, Welding CTE, Algebra, Shop class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-3029.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.