How to become a non-destructive testing technician
Official title: Non-destructive testing technician
Also called: NDT technician, NDT specialist, Non-destructive examination technician, Field trials officer, Gas examiner, Pipe testing technician, Pressure testing technician
Non-destructive testing technicians use x-ray, ultrasound or related equipment to test materials and objects for faults and structural flaws in ways that don't cause damage.
Main tasks
- Test materials and objects for faults
- Set up testing equipment
- Operate testing equipment
- Test machines and equipment
- Record results
- Choose equipment for projects
- Supervise engineers and other staff
How to become one
You usually need to do training to become a non-destructive testing technician. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a relevant industry-based certification through the New Zealand Non-Destructive Testing Association or the Certification Board of Inspection Personnel; a relevant tertiary qualification; to be a member of the New Zealand Non-Destructive Testing Association.
Pay · Past change · AI and this job
- Most common pay: $68,000 to $115,000 a year (median $89,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $55,000 a year · Upper: $147,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Who does this work
- About 200 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
- In the group Other Building and Engineering Technicians, 20% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
- Where people in the group Other Building and Engineering Technicians work (2023 Census): Auckland 32.6%, Waikato 12.2%, and Canterbury 11.3%.
Related jobs
- Environmental engineering technician
- Biomedical equipment technician
- Wind turbine technician
- Geothermal technician
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Questions people ask
How do I become a non-destructive testing technician?
You usually need to do training to become a non-destructive testing technician. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: a relevant industry-based certification through the New Zealand Non-Destructive Testing Association or the Certification Board of Inspection Personnel; a relevant tertiary qualification; to be a member of the New Zealand Non-Destructive Testing Association.
How much does a non-destructive testing technician earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $89,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $68,000 to $115,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a non-destructive testing technician grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Will AI change the work of a non-destructive testing technician?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026