What does a Non-Destructive Testing Specialist
actually do all day?
top skill Reading Comprehensioncore tasks 6median pay $78,350AI exposure 0/100
Non-Destructive Testing Specialists is deadline-driven, mixed sitting & moving, some people contact work. Precision matters a lot here.
What this job actually does all day
The representative tasks O*NET analysts recorded for this role — not a glossy job ad, the real work.
- Interpret the results of all methods of non-destructive testing (NDT), such as acoustic emission, electromagnetic, leak, liquid penetrant, magnetic particle, neutron radiographic, radiographic, thermal or infrared, ultrasonic, vibration analysis, and visual testing.
- Interpret or evaluate test results in accordance with applicable codes, standards, specifications, or procedures.
- Identify defects in solid materials, using ultrasonic testing techniques.
- Make radiographic images to detect flaws in objects while leaving objects intact.
- Prepare reports on non-destructive testing results.
- Select, calibrate, or operate equipment used in the non-destructive testing of products or materials.
Skills & environment
Bars are O*NET importance/intensity ratings, scaled 0–100 so you can compare at a glance.
The skills it demands most
What the environment feels like
Deadline pressure: constant deadline pressureConflict & friction: moderateNeed to be exact: precision is criticalTime spent sitting: moderateContact with people: constantly dealing with people
Go deeper on this role
How this is built. Tasks, skills, and work-environment ratings come from the
U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET occupational analysis — job analysts survey real workers, so this is the
closest thing to "what the job is actually like" in public data. Skill scores are O*NET Importance
ratings (0–5) and environment measures are Context ratings (0–5), both rescaled to 0–100 here for
easy reading. This task-and-skill detail comes straight from the O*NET database — it's
pulled straight from the survey, not invented. Figures describe the typical role, not any one person's job.
