Also called: Fire Apparatus Ladder Tester, Ground Ladder Testing Technician
Travels to fire departments to stress-test their ladder trucks and ladders every year, so they never fail during a rescue.
Testing techs set up at a fire station, hang weights from a fully raised 100-foot aerial ladder, measure how it bends, and check welds with ultrasound and dye tests. They load-test the ground ladders and certify everything to national fire standards. A crew may visit three fire stations in different towns in a week.
Travel pay common. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. High school plus mechanical or welding background; NDT certification on the job.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Welding Technology (trade school), Fire Science.
Growing about average. Annual testing is required by NFPA 1911 (approx.).
Low risk for 10 years. Sensors log results; climbing, loading and inspecting ladders stays hands-on.
Classes: Welding CTE class, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-9041.
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.