Will AI replace Non-Destructive Testing Specialists?
AI reaches some of this job’s work, but most of it stays with people.
27/100
Moderate exposure
More exposed to AI than 43% of US workers.
- AI already used in
- 0% of the work
- As AI tools mature: up to
- 54% of the work
What the job involves
Test the safety of structures, vehicles, or vessels using x-ray, ultrasound, fiber optic or related equipment.
Where AI reaches the work
The job’s main tasks, heaviest first, by how far AI reaches them.
Within reach(8)
- 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.
- Prepare reports on non-destructive testing results.
- Document non-destructive testing methods, processes, or results.
- Supervise or direct the work of non-destructive testing trainees or staff.
and 3 more
Out of reach(8)
- Select, calibrate, or operate equipment used in the non-destructive testing of products or materials.
- Conduct liquid penetrant tests to locate surface cracks by coating objects with fluorescent dyes, cleaning excess penetrant, and applying developer.
- Visually examine materials, structures, or components for signs of corrosion, metal fatigue, cracks, or other flaws, using tools and equipment such as endoscopes, closed-circuit television systems, and fiber optics.
- Identify defects in solid materials, using ultrasonic testing techniques.
- Examine structures or vehicles such as aircraft, trains, nuclear reactors, bridges, dams, and pipelines, using non-destructive testing techniques.
and 3 more
Also called
NDT Technician (Non-Destructive Testing Technician) · NDT Technician · Non-Destructive Tester · Industrial Radiographer · NDE Technician (Non-Destructive Evaluation Technician) · NDT Specialist (Non-Destructive Testing Specialist) · Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) · CWI
Related jobs
What these numbers mean
The score is the share of this job’s work, weighted by how important and frequent each task is, that AI could do in half the time: tasks an AI model could do alone count in full, tasks that need software built on AI count half.
“AI already used” is the share of the work in tasks where people are recorded using AI today. “As AI tools mature” counts every task AI could halve, with or without extra software.
The percentile compares the score with every job’s, weighted by how many people in the US do each one. Exposure means AI could change how the work is done, not that the job goes away. These are estimates for the typical job, not predictions.
Sources
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
- GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs (task labels), Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), OpenAI and University of Pennsylvania
- Anthropic Economic Index: labor market impacts (task penetration), Anthropic
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national and metropolitan areas), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics