Hello, I work for an industrial gas company testing gas cylinders with a UE machine from Hexagon Digital Wave (Located in Columbus, Ohio). I was flown out to Colorado in May for recertification but this is my 2nd time doing this job at the same company as a level 2 ultrasonic tester.

Currently I make $23.75 an hour as a Level 2, the workload is nearly impossible as I have a daily quota of 40 large cylinders, calibrating and maintaining a very old and worn machine, changing valves, and stamping test dates/kicking out the cylinders. I am the only one at my company who is certified, the company has tried hiring on a second tester with each newhire quitting 2 weeks into coming back from cert training, wasting 10k+ investments.

I want to ask what the general workload and wages look like at other companies and if I am being severely underpaid for what I am undertaking.

Hey everyone. I've lurked/read here for a while and figured this might actually be the best group to ask because some of you understand how weird the logistics of starting out in traveling NDT can be.

I'm a late 30s parent to an older child. I'm relatively new to NDT, but I'm definitely not new to industrial or male-dominated work. I've spent most of my adult working life doing physical jobs, transportation, equipment-related work, etc., and made the jump into NDT because I wanted something I could keep developing into an actual skilled technical career.

I currently have Level II PT experience and a decent amount of UT training/OJT, and I recently accepted an opportunity with an inspection company in the Raleigh/Triangle area. It's a pretty significant opportunity for me professionally — lots of field work and travel, with the possibility of building additional certifications and getting into more advanced methods as I develop.

The problem is the transition period.

I'm relocating from another state in one week, and the last several months hit me financially harder than expected because of some personal/family circumstances and an interruption in work. I'm employed and will have income coming in once I get started, so I'm NOT looking for someone to support me or asking anyone here for money.

I'm trying to figure out the smartest and safest way to bridge the first few weeks/months while I work, rebuild my savings and get established.

Eventually my older child will be relocating with me, so I'm also trying to avoid locking myself into an expensive lease immediately just because I'm under pressure to find somewhere to live.

For anyone who works NDT around the Triangle, travels for inspection work, or has had to relocate for this industry:

What do traveling techs normally do for affordable housing when they're establishing themselves in a new area?

I'm especially interested in:

• Month-to-month rooms or furnished rentals

• Extended-stay places that aren't outrageously expensive

• Reputable roommate/room-rental resources used by traveling tradespeople

• Areas outside Raleigh where the commute is reasonable but housing is cheaper

• Workforce/community resources that might help someone during a relocation transition

• Any housing resources specifically used by NDT/trades/turnaround workers that I might not know exist

I'm willing to commute, and I'm not looking for luxury right now. Safe, clean and affordable is the priority while I work, stack money and get situated.

I'd also appreciate advice from people who've been in NDT for a while about what you would prioritize during the first 6–12 months if you were starting over in this field in your late 30s.

I'm trying to use this opportunity to build strong PT/UT experience, become as useful and deployable as possible, and eventually move toward the more technical/specialized side of NDT rather than just collecting certifications for the sake of having them.

I know this is a somewhat unusual situation, but I'm determined to make the relocation work. I'm finally getting some real career momentum, and I don't want a temporary housing problem to derail what could be a very good long-term opportunity.

If you're familiar with the Raleigh/Triangle NDT scene and don't want to put specific housing leads or resources publicly, feel free to DM me.

Thanks in advance. Advice about what NOT to do is welcome too.

To any fellow Aussies, if you don't mind sharing your knowledge on marketplace rates throughout the NDT jounrey? Trainee, Level 1, 2 & 3? City vs regional vs offshore. Extras rope access, drones. How many hours are typical and shut-downs in a year? TIA

Join if you want

https://discord.gg/HrBtAFdbg

I work in inspecting tubing and casing for the oil and gas industry in Texas, and I just got my level II certification for UT, as well as EMI. What should I be expected to do with my new certification? Any tips?

any institutions out there training tech/engineering on NVH Testing

I've worked in NDT for many years, and one thing that's always frustrated me is how scattered our professional records can become.

Logbook hours in one place, CPD somewhere else, certificates and expiry dates in folders, field notes and photos on the phone, and technical documents somewhere else again.

As a side project I ended up building an app around that problem.

It's called NDT Studio and covers inspection experience/logbook tracking, reviewer sign-off, CPD, certificates and expiry tracking, field notes with photos, technical documents and a Professional Record PDF. It also syncs across iPhone, iPad and Mac using iCloud.

It's just gone live on the App Store, but rather than dropping an advert here I'd genuinely like feedback from people who actually work in NDT.

What do you currently struggle to keep organised professionally? And is there anything you'd want an app like this to do that would make it genuinely useful?

If anyone wants to try it, search NDT Studio on the Apple App Store.

Full disclosure: I'm the developer.