Non-destructive testing technician vs technician

The differences between non-destructive testing technicians and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a non-destructive testing technician has an average salary of $47,657, which is higher than the $38,045 average annual salary of a technician.

The top three skills for a non-destructive testing technician include NDT, destructive testing and magnetic particle. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Non-destructive testing technician vs technician overview

	Non-Destructive Testing Technician	Technician
Yearly salary	$47,657	$38,045
Hourly rate	$22.91	$18.29
Growth rate	6%	1%
Number of jobs	23,281	596,842
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	45	40
Years of experience	-	2

What does a non-destructive testing technician do?

A Non-Destructive Technician is a technician who examines the physical properties of materials and components to detect corrosion, cracks, flaws, and any other imperfections that could result in unreliability about product performance, at times, even product failure. Their responsibilities include a regular inspection to determine if maintenance is necessary, testing materials used for the structures to ensure they are safe, and ensuring testing does not lead to further damage of the material or plan examined.

What does a technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Non-destructive testing technician vs technician salary

Non-destructive testing technicians and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Non-Destructive Testing Technician	Technician
Average salary	$47,657	$38,045
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $85,000	Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying City	-	San Jose, CA
Highest paying state	-	Hawaii
Best paying company	-	Microsoft
Best paying industry	-	Telecommunication

Differences between non-destructive testing technician and technician education

There are a few differences between a non-destructive testing technician and a technician in terms of educational background:

	Non-Destructive Testing Technician	Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Educational Assessment, Evaluation, And Research	Business
Most common college	-	-

Non-destructive testing technician vs technician demographics

Here are the differences between non-destructive testing technicians' and technicians' demographics:

	Non-Destructive Testing Technician	Technician
Average age	45	40
Gender ratio	Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8%	Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 7.5% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	6%	2%

Differences between non-destructive testing technician and technician duties and responsibilities

Non-destructive testing technician example responsibilities.

Develop NDI inspection techniques for parts to insure quality requirements are met.
Award for providing suggestions to improve quality by adding require NDI inspection techniques.
Inspect aerospace weapon systems components and support equipment for structural integrity using ultrasonics and fluorescent dye penetrant.
Ensure adherence and compliance to company and industry policies & procedures such as Nadcap and AS9100.
Interpret and evaluate results on a range of different weldments, castings, forgings, and materials produce from different methods.
Partner with API inspecting internal/external housing of pressure vessel units.

Technician example responsibilities.

Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.

Non-destructive testing technician vs technician skills

Common non-destructive testing technician skills

NDT, 17%
Destructive Testing, 14%
Magnetic Particle, 10%
Radiographic Procedures, 9%
PT, 8%
Level II, 6%

Common technician skills

Patients, 16%
Customer Service, 14%
Patient Care, 8%
Hand Tools, 6%
Diagnosis, 5%
Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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Non-Destructive Testing Technician
Non-Destructive Testing Technician vs Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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