NDT Level II technician pay (BLS and posted salaries)
✓ Checked 17 Oct 2026 against BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, O*NET and the job postings linked below.
There is no single Level II salary in the BLS figures used here. A national occupational benchmark and an advertised range answer different questions. Use the benchmark for broad context, then compare vacancies that match your method, certification route and location. Neither source establishes what a particular employer will offer you.
What the BLS benchmark measures
O*NET identifies Non-Destructive Testing Specialists as 17-3029.01. Its occupation summary explicitly says the displayed wages are for the broader occupation Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other, SOC 17-3029. Those wages do not isolate Level II technicians, a particular NDT method or a certification program.
The series used here is BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 national estimates, all industries, SOC 17-3029, released 15 May 2026 and retrieved 17 Oct 2026. The BLS release table reports:
- ✓ Hourly median: $37.67.
- ✓ Hourly mean: $38.93.
- ✓ Annual mean: $80,960.
The median describes the middle of the wage distribution; the mean is the average. Do not label the annual mean as a Level II median salary. BLS's OEWS FAQs explain that annual estimates generally use 2,080 hours and that reported wages exclude overtime pay, shift differentials and on-call pay. These are gross wage estimates, rather than take-home income or a complete benefits package.
Posted Level II pay ranges
These are snapshots retrieved on 17 Oct 2026, not a representative salary survey or confirmation that a vacancy remains open. The ASNT job-board entries reproduce job advertisements; their ranges are employer claims, not ASNT wage estimates.
- Enfield, Connecticut: the ASNT-hosted NDT Level II Technician posting, whose company overview identifies Element, advertises $25–$35 an hour, depending on experience. It describes aerospace inspection work including penetrant and magnetic particle methods.
- Rancho Dominguez, California: the ASNT-hosted UT Technician Level II posting advertises $26–$34 an hour, depending on experience and shift. The page does not clearly identify an employer beyond its generic listing label, so treat attribution as incomplete.
- Hawthorne, California: SpaceX's NDE Level II Inspector posting lists Grade 1 at $25–$35 an hour, Grade 2 at $30–$40, Grade 3 at $35–$45, Grade 4 at $43–$54, and Grade 5 at $50–$60. These are the employer's pay grades within a Level II role. They are not NDT certification levels. The posting says actual placement depends on skills, education and experience.
Compare the work behind the rate
Build an offer comparison with separate entries for base pay, scheduled hours, overtime arrangements, travel reimbursement, paid leave and benefits. Ask whether a shift premium is included in an advertised rate. Keep reimbursements separate from wages when comparing a traveling assignment with a local position.
Check the methods and techniques you would actually use, who provides equipment and who pays for required examinations. Ask how the employer evaluates existing certification records and what additional assessments are needed before assignment. Do not infer a pay increase from earning a certificate without an employer's stated compensation policy.
For certification planning, return to the site overview, requirements guide and UT General guide. Use the UT diagnostic when that written examination matches your plan. A study result is not evidence of an expected wage.
Sources
Show the list
- Non-Destructive Testing Specialists, 17-3029.01, ONET OnLine, National Center for ONET Development, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025, national table, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, released 15 May 2026. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wages release summary, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, released 15 May 2026. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.
- NDT Level II Technician, Enfield, American Society for Nondestructive Testing job board; posting identifies Element. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.
- UT Technician Level II, Rancho Dominguez, American Society for Nondestructive Testing job board; employer attribution incomplete. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.
- NDE Level II Inspector, Multiple Shifts, Hawthorne, SpaceX. Retrieved 17 Oct 2026.
Facts checked 17 October 2026 against the sources listed above. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it within 2 business days.
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