How much do ndt technicians make in 2026?
Non-destructive testing technicians are counted in the BLS inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers series: OEWS May 2025 reports the SOC 51-9061 national median at $48,570 a year ($23.35 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $35,510 and the top 10% at $77,860. The series is broad and dominated by production inspection, so it does not describe certified testing work specifically — the useful structure comes from the profession's own ladder. Certification under a written practice following the recognised industry standard runs Level I, II and III, separately for each method: penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic, radiographic, eddy current and phased array. Level II ultrasonic and radiographic technicians earn well above the series median, radiography carries additional premiums for night shooting and radiation-safety responsibility, and Level III holders write the procedures and sit near the top of the band. Employment across the series is projected to hold flat through 2034 with roughly 69,900 openings a year. → Full ndt technician career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $48,570 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- NDT Technicians earn a national median $48,570/yr ($23.35/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-9061); the P10 to P90 range is $35,510 to $77,860.
- BLS pools non-destructive testing into a broad inspectors series, so the $48,570 median describes production inspection more than certified testing work.
- Pay follows the Level I, II and III ladder method by method: ultrasonic and radiographic Level II sit above the series median and Level III near the top.
- Radiography adds night-shooting and radiation-safety premiums, while advanced ultrasonic methods such as phased array command the highest routine rates.
US NDT Technician Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do ndt technicians earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 51-9061; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-9061, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a ndt technician earn at each career stage?
Testing pay follows certification level and method mix. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 51-9061, a broad inspection series rather than a testing-specific one.
By State
Which states pay ndt technicians the most in 2026?
These are modeled state estimates — the BLS national median for the inspectors series scaled by the GlobalCybers state wage index — not BLS state observations. Testing work follows industrial assets: refining and petrochemical corridors, pipeline routes, power generation and aerospace manufacturing regions. Radiographic work additionally involves state radiation-control licensing of the employer and radiographer registration in many states, which limits who can perform it locally.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($55,860), the highest-paying state shown. See all 51 state salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay ndt technicians the most?
Modeled metro estimates: the national median for the inspectors series scaled by the state wage index and then by that state's published metro index. They estimate local wage levels and are not BLS metropolitan-area observations.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a ndt technician’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does ndt technician pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. NDT Technicians sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify ndt technician wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a ndt technician actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
NDT Technician Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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