r/nondestructivetesting

Is anyone else experiencing zero work? Im part of a aerospace department and I haven't touched a plane since February. Ive seen 2 paper mill outages just because I've had to express very loudly to my chain of command the need for work. Sent my application flying to other companies. Curious if anyone has heard anything. Thanks yall

Hello everybody. I am currently based in Calgary, Alberta. I have a fall shutdown scheduled with a QCCC company in Wood Buffalo, Alberta. At the same time, I had applied a while back in a non-QCCC company based locally in Calgary. Currently, I am in the advanced stages of interview. I just wanted to get your valuable insights whether looking forward, it would still be possible for me to work the fall shutdown with the union company and come back to join work with my Non- union employer after the shutdown. Do Non- union employers normally allow that to happen?

I need to prep for a radiation safety test for IEMA (Illinois State). It is my first time taking it and diving into RT. Any suggestions or study material would be appreciated.

Hello iam looking for a job I have certs in asnt level 2 ( UT,RT,MPT) . Want to move to Australia and gulf countries. An referrals will be appreciated thank you.

Specifically interested in traveling for outage work if it's possible to get into now (in the current job market), or rope access. For those who have stayed at hotels, how long are you typically there for? Just curious about different people's experiences.

Edit: I'm in the US

I’m 19 in Ontario planning to get into NDT/welding inspection and want honest feedback on whether this path is realistic.

Current plan:

• Conestoga Welding Inspection program (0043) grad in 2028 with my level 1 CWB inspection, I also plan to hold my CWB SMAW 1f/g ticket as proof of competence of real welding
• PT/MT Level 1 through CINDE
• Start working while logging CGSB hours
• Progress into PT2/MT2 + UT1/UT2
• Possibly RT later
• Long-term goal: CWI/API/refinery inspection work

Main goal is to build experience in Canada, then move to Houston around 24 after getting UT2 + CWI to try breaking into refinery/pipeline/API inspection work in the US (I’m also a dual citizen).

Expected progression:

• Early 20s: entry-level NDT/inspection work (40k-50k cad?)
• 21-24: Level 2 certs + building experience , at 24 hopefully have UT level 2 if not close (50k-70k cad?)
• Mid 20s: refinery/pipeline/shutdown work (move to houston with UT level 2, PT/MT level 2, CWI, and my advance degree and re-certify my certs in USA, 70k-90k USD?)
• By the time Im 30 hopefully have RT and UT level 2, PT/MT level 2, CWI, and API 570 and 510 with ASNT level 3 (140k USD?)
• Long-term: API/CWI/senior inspector route

Main questions:

• Is this path realistic? What income would come with this in my late 20s/ early 30s?
• Is UT a better long-term move than RT?
• How difficult is getting CGSB hours signed off?
• Which certs actually changed your career/income the most?
• Is moving into Houston refinery/API work around 24 realistic?

I’d rather hear brutal honesty now than waste years going down the wrong path.

I have been working in X-ray/ CT in a hospital for about 5 years now and I am familiar with many types of xray/ CT machines. Im looking to move away from clinical/hospital work and go into more industrial work. For those who work in RT what is your work flow look like? Im not super great at math but did well in radiography school in x ray physics. Is there more math involved? Do you have to read the images? This is a completely foreign area to me but seems interesting! Anyone who does radiography in this field let me know what your job is like!

Hello,

I'm planning on getting into this type of work, however I had some questions on the logistics of how it all works.

I understand that I can expect 7/12s, however what about the more nitty gritty things like what is the standard lodging situation, are rentals given for transportation back & forth between there and work location?

What is the food situation? If working 12 hours a day are people expected to fend for themselves and cook in their crappy motel or eat garbage like fast food because the work locations are in the middle of nowhere?

I'm currently in the military so I'm used to roughing it, but at least there would be passable quality food provided and a gym nearby within walking distance, 2 pretty important things for me.

I know answers will vary based on location and company, please share whatever's worth sharing.

Tldr: I'm curious about the quality of life while working these jobs, particularly if doing contract work.

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for a bit of a sanity check before I spend my hard earned cash on courses.

I’ve been stuck in a sales job for a while now and I’m honestly just done with it. I’ve spent the last 6 months researching NDT and it really seems to click with the way my brain works. I have a background in IT (did field tech work with cameras and cable installations years back), so I’m comfortable with hardware and troubleshooting, but I have zero actual NDT field experience.

The Plan**:**

• I've done my math and vision tests already
• about to register for my M&P course with CINDE.
• Eventually, I want to aim for Ultrasonic (UT) and Eddy Current (ET) tickets.
• But also considering getting my Rope Access (SPRAT/IRATA) or some site safety tickets to make myself more hirable as a green tech.

Since I’m paying for all of this out of pocket, I just want to make sure I’m not throwing money down a well. Is it realistic to expect to land a trainee/assistant job in with:

1. Zero NDT hours?
2. No existing "in" with a company?
3. Just an M&P cert and a "willing to learn" attitude?

Am I dreaming, or is there actually a path for a boomer starting from scratch in 2026?

Would love to hear from you guys, specially fold who recently started and have recent experience with the early career job market.

Cheers!

Cwi position open at a company willing to train me as an inspector and pay for the cwi upon passing the test. however when pay was brought up I was told there wouldn't be much of a bump on account of me being a welder at this company for 20 years and I already make what a cwi would if they were to hire outside. so to me with those facts , the additional responsibilities of getting the cwi, being an inspector, emails, documentation , training of welders. etc required ot. for no additional pay. doesn't sound very appealing. upside though would be if I Pass and get the cwi, then I have that in the unfortunate case of me losing my current job. would you take the job or just stay a fitter/welder with apparently cwi pay at this company? Looking for others opinions.. TIA

I have 4 years of experience and a strong resume , can someone help out or give me a lead on landing a job.
I have VT, MT, UT, I also have PAUT and TOFD. Not as experience in PAUT and TOFD. But confident enough to pick it up quick.

Hi all. I'm in Canada working on hours towards my MT, PT, VT. My workplace is going to start testing the welders more, and I thought it would be a good way to practice and hours by testing the pieces. That got shut down because it's "Technically not in the scope of our work". From my understanding, as long as we're filling out "Paperwork" and are under the guidance of a level 2 or 3, we can count it as ojt hours. Looking for some guidance as I'm rather let down by the lack of actual ojt I can count towards my hours (almost 10% of my workday, the level 2 doesn't make a whole lot of effort to teach me and give me opportunity to gain hours. I've taken the NDT course at Mohawk, so not like I know nothing).

I am currently looking to advance my career in quality assurance and am considering pursuing Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) certifications and the CWB (Canadian Welding Bureau) Level 1 Welding Inspector exam.

My background

I have a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from a foreign country and three years of experience as a quality assurance technician in an aluminum extrusion company in Canada . My background is primarily in product and process quality, and I am now looking to specialize further into technical inspection roles.

I would appreciate insights from those who have taken this path:

NDT vs. CWB Level 1

For a Quality Technician with a mechanical engineering background, which certification typically offers the best "day one" ROI in terms of job opportunities? Does it make more sense to pursue a specific NDT method (like UT or MPI) before tackling CWB?

2. The Learning Curve

Given my experience with technical standards and quality systems, how challenging is the transition into the more "hands-on" technical requirements of welding inspection and NDT? Are there specific areas where my engineering background will give me a significant head start?

I am confused where to start ?

Please advise
it would be a wise decision to take this route considering no experience in NDT and welding inspection ?

Hello everyone,

I am conducting research on manual visual inspection, focusing on human factors and visual perception, and I would really value input from people working in the field.

I am especially interested in understanding:

• In which use cases is manual visual inspection still necessary, despite advances in automation and AI?
• At what stage of the inspection process are humans typically involved?
  • Do operators perform the full inspection process manually?
  • Or do automated systems make preliminary decisions, with humans mainly verifying or validating the final result?
• Are there particular defect types, environments, or industries where human perception still outperforms automated inspection systems?
• From a human factors perspective, what are the biggest challenges operators face during visual inspection (fatigue, attention, lighting, training, false positives/negatives, etc.)?

I would greatly appreciate hearing about real-world workflows, experiences, or examples from manufacturing, quality control, aviation, medical devices, electronics, automotive, or other relevant industries.

Thanks in advance for your time and insights!

I was just curious of some setups that everyone uses, or has seen, for high-volume Fluorescent Penetrant Testing. The parts themselves are rather small (~6" x 6") but there are over 20,000 of them. What are some good PT setup ideas if I already have the space? I know a couple of longer tables and a sink with running water is ideal, but I am somewhat lost on what else it should contain.

hey so as the title suggests, just looking to hear from someone who has gone through the AATA apprenticeship program, more specifically in California. i’m in the process of applying and currently knocking out PT Lvl 1 classroom hours and saw the AATA program. any help would be appreciated!

I want to pursue NDT for several reasons. What appeals to me is the overtime and pay ceiling. I’m looking at my options, some people say to just apply to companies hiring green hands, but those don’t seem common. What steps can I take from here to secure a job as an NDT Tech?

I have a UTI location near me that offers NDT training, but a lot of people don’t recommend it. AINDT is an online option, and claim 93% of their graduates find their career job, so that’s seems like a solid option if true. I don’t want to spend 2 years at a community college to get an associates.

Is there anyway for me to isolate the necessary certifications and throw it on a resume to be more competitive than the average applicant? What steps would you take if you had to start over?

Hey I am looking into taking level 1 and 2 for PT. Should I take MT as well or just save for the UT level 1 and 2. A friend of mine mentioned MT is not as common.