186 metro areas
Non-Destructive Testing Specialist Salary by City (2026)
Non-destructive testing specialists earn the most in Bremerton, WA, an average of $108,700 a year, against $80,960 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Charleston, WV ($107,170 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $80,960BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $108,700Bremerton, WA
- Best after cost of living
- $107,170Charleston, WV
- Metro areas
- 186With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for non-destructive testing specialists
Top 10 metro areas
- Bremerton, WA$108,700
- Portland, ME$106,580
- Lexington Park, MD$106,430
- Baltimore, MD$102,400
- Bakersfield, CA$99,030
- Vallejo, CA$98,840
- Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV$98,160
- Atlantic City, NJ$97,780
- Anchorage, AK$97,490
- Charleston, WV$95,080
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $108,700 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $106,580 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $106,430 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $102,400 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $99,030 |
| Vallejo, CA | $98,840 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $98,160 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $97,780 |
| Anchorage, AK | $97,490 |
| Charleston, WV | $95,080 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Charleston, WV$95,080 nominal$107,170
- Lexington Park, MD$106,430 nominal$105,630
- Las Cruces, NM$94,990 nominal$105,300
- Gulfport, MS$94,310 nominal$104,780
- Portland, ME$106,580 nominal$104,640
- Bremerton, WA$108,700 nominal$102,930
- Huntsville, AL$93,970 nominal$100,960
- Huntington, WV-KY-OH$87,690 nominal$99,170
- Atlantic City, NJ$97,780 nominal$98,910
- Bakersfield, CA$99,030 nominal$98,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Charleston, WV | $107,170 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $105,630 |
| Las Cruces, NM | $105,300 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | $104,780 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $104,640 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $102,930 |
| Huntsville, AL | $100,960 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $99,170 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $98,910 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $98,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Non-Destructive Testing Specialist salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bremerton, WA | $108,700 | $88,110 | $118,830 | $102,930 |
| 2 | Portland, ME | $106,580 | $83,800 | $117,790 | $104,640 |
| 3 | Lexington Park, MD | $106,430 | $77,190 | $120,830 | $105,630 |
| 4 | Baltimore, MD | $102,400 | $65,580 | $120,540 | $98,000 |
| 5 | Bakersfield, CA | $99,030 | $62,730 | $116,900 | $98,160 |
| 6 | Vallejo, CA | $98,840 | $65,710 | $115,170 | $91,110 |
| 7 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $98,160 | $59,840 | $117,020 | $90,150 |
| 8 | Atlantic City, NJ | $97,780 | $72,900 | $110,030 | $98,910 |
| 9 | Anchorage, AK | $97,490 | $57,640 | $117,120 | $92,480 |
| 10 | Charleston, WV | $95,080 | $73,860 | $105,540 | $107,170 |
| 11 | Las Cruces, NM | $94,990 | $72,010 | $106,310 | $105,300 |
| 12 | Gulfport, MS | $94,310 | $70,740 | $105,910 | $104,780 |
| 13 | Huntsville, AL | $93,970 | $59,550 | $110,950 | $100,960 |
| 14 | Oxnard, CA | $93,450 | $56,990 | $111,430 | $84,540 |
| 15 | Seattle, WA | $93,040 | $63,000 | $107,850 | $83,720 |
| 16 | San Francisco, CA | $92,930 | $61,550 | $108,410 | $80,380 |
| 17 | San Jose, CA | $92,710 | $60,590 | $108,510 | $83,960 |
| 18 | San Diego, CA | $92,680 | $59,450 | $109,080 | $82,830 |
| 19 | Providence, RI-MA | $91,980 | $65,460 | $105,040 | $90,380 |
| 20 | Warner Robins, GA | $90,480 | $76,020 | $97,590 | $96,470 |
| 21 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $89,690 | $57,350 | $105,600 | $80,830 |
| 22 | Panama City, FL | $89,480 | $64,170 | $101,940 | $91,970 |
| 23 | Crestview, FL | $88,900 | $62,980 | $101,670 | $91,620 |
| 24 | Sacramento, CA | $88,690 | $58,510 | $103,560 | $83,140 |
| 25 | Charleston, SC | $87,760 | $66,390 | $98,280 | $86,920 |
| 26 | Huntington, WV-KY-OH | $87,690 | $69,760 | $96,530 | $99,170 |
| 27 | Fresno, CA | $87,670 | $57,450 | $102,540 | $85,820 |
| 28 | Ogden, UT | $87,610 | $66,580 | $97,970 | $87,310 |
| 29 | San Luis Obispo, CA | $87,380 | $64,380 | $98,720 | $80,460 |
| 30 | Fayetteville, NC | $87,240 | $70,930 | $95,260 | $94,850 |
| 31 | Davenport, IA-IL | $87,110 | $66,330 | $97,340 | $97,790 |
| 32 | Hilton Head Island, SC | $86,720 | $72,070 | $93,930 | $88,470 |
| 33 | Columbia, SC | $86,420 | $67,640 | $95,680 | $92,270 |
| 34 | Cleveland, OH | $86,340 | $61,050 | $98,800 | $91,930 |
| 35 | Riverside, CA | $85,590 | $57,080 | $99,650 | $80,410 |
| 36 | New York, NY-NJ | $85,280 | $55,040 | $100,170 | $75,760 |
| 37 | Santa Rosa, CA | $85,070 | $56,850 | $98,970 | $78,930 |
| 38 | Oklahoma City, OK | $84,950 | $59,090 | $97,660 | $93,960 |
| 39 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $84,640 | $56,350 | $98,570 | $82,530 |
| 40 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $84,240 | $59,720 | $96,300 | $76,990 |
| 41 | Chicago, IL-IN | $83,800 | $63,250 | $93,930 | $80,890 |
| 42 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $83,740 | $67,350 | $91,810 | $92,080 |
| 43 | Fairbanks, AK | $83,680 | $56,010 | $97,300 | $81,080 |
| 44 | Jacksonville, FL | $83,660 | $57,780 | $96,410 | $84,090 |
| 45 | Wheeling, WV-OH | $83,620 | $60,260 | $95,120 | $94,680 |
| 46 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $83,280 | $57,010 | $96,220 | $89,990 |
| 47 | Denver, CO | $82,120 | $54,480 | $95,740 | $77,630 |
| 48 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $81,990 | $59,070 | $93,270 | $82,020 |
| 49 | Spokane, WA | $81,970 | $63,320 | $91,170 | $81,690 |
| 50 | Jacksonville, NC | $81,540 | $60,360 | $91,980 | $88,550 |
| 51 | Portland, OR-WA | $81,450 | $53,080 | $95,430 | $77,260 |
| 52 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $81,330 | $61,340 | $91,170 | $77,590 |
| 53 | Trenton, NJ | $81,220 | $52,890 | $95,180 | $78,720 |
| 54 | Greenville, SC | $80,870 | $54,250 | $94,000 | $86,710 |
| 55 | Indianapolis, IN | $80,870 | $58,760 | $91,770 | $84,510 |
| 56 | Augusta, GA-SC | $80,600 | $50,790 | $95,260 | $87,700 |
| 57 | Manchester, NH | $80,600 | $56,370 | $92,540 | $76,280 |
| 58 | Santa Maria, CA | $80,270 | $58,860 | $90,810 | $73,780 |
| 59 | Corpus Christi, TX | $79,980 | $55,000 | $92,290 | $86,310 |
| 60 | Fond du Lac, WI | $79,980 | $63,130 | $88,280 | $87,270 |
| 61 | Yuma, AZ | $79,680 | $58,640 | $90,060 | $85,950 |
| 62 | Kingsport, TN-VA | $79,480 | $62,400 | $87,900 | $91,940 |
| 63 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $79,250 | $59,260 | $89,090 | $85,150 |
| 64 | Reno, NV | $78,770 | $62,980 | $86,530 | $77,980 |
| 65 | Detroit, MI | $78,730 | $50,270 | $92,730 | $78,500 |
| 66 | Hartford, CT | $78,690 | $57,010 | $89,360 | $76,590 |
| 67 | Boulder, CO | $78,270 | $58,680 | $87,920 | $74,400 |
| 68 | Wilmington, NC | $78,270 | $62,030 | $86,280 | $81,170 |
| 69 | Salt Lake City, UT | $78,210 | $58,970 | $87,670 | $77,540 |
| 70 | Watertown, NY | $78,170 | $56,930 | $88,650 | $89,140 |
| 71 | Greeley, CO | $78,120 | $50,480 | $91,730 | $77,980 |
| 72 | Eugene, OR | $77,750 | $55,970 | $88,480 | $76,550 |
| 73 | Bloomington, IL | $77,670 | $58,530 | $87,090 | $83,040 |
| 74 | Albany, OR | $77,500 | $55,160 | $88,500 | $75,910 |
| 75 | Dayton, OH | $77,480 | $51,210 | $90,420 | $83,590 |
| 76 | Madison, WI | $77,440 | $50,590 | $90,670 | $79,600 |
| 77 | Columbus, OH | $77,270 | $51,630 | $89,900 | $80,940 |
| 78 | Houston, TX | $77,190 | $45,820 | $92,640 | $78,260 |
| 79 | Stockton, CA | $77,150 | $53,730 | $88,670 | $73,410 |
| 80 | Ann Arbor, MI | $76,810 | $50,880 | $89,560 | $76,140 |
| 81 | Milwaukee, WI | $76,750 | $53,980 | $87,980 | $79,180 |
| 82 | Richmond, VA | $76,690 | $53,310 | $88,190 | $78,370 |
| 83 | Akron, OH | $76,560 | $56,660 | $86,360 | $82,000 |
| 84 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $75,800 | $52,850 | $87,110 | $79,720 |
| 85 | Winston, NC | $75,800 | $57,600 | $84,780 | $82,350 |
| 86 | Tulsa, OK | $75,670 | $53,790 | $86,440 | $84,820 |
| 87 | Bellingham, WA | $75,520 | $50,880 | $87,670 | $73,080 |
| 88 | Iowa City, IA | $75,400 | $60,550 | $82,720 | $82,400 |
| 89 | Raleigh, NC | $75,300 | $53,100 | $86,220 | $76,710 |
| 90 | Dallas, TX | $75,090 | $47,420 | $88,730 | $72,840 |
| 91 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $74,980 | $52,350 | $86,130 | $78,620 |
| 92 | Baton Rouge, LA | $74,730 | $44,410 | $89,670 | $82,320 |
| 93 | Omaha, NE-IA | $74,420 | $49,000 | $86,960 | $80,970 |
| 94 | Savannah, GA | $74,360 | $55,410 | $83,700 | $78,100 |
| 95 | Los Angeles, CA | $74,130 | $52,460 | $84,820 | $65,270 |
| 96 | Boston, MA-NH | $74,010 | $51,630 | $85,030 | $68,360 |
| 97 | Asheville, NC | $73,960 | $59,510 | $81,100 | $76,640 |
| 98 | Lakeland, FL | $73,690 | $51,270 | $84,740 | $75,860 |
| 99 | Hickory, NC | $73,590 | $55,060 | $82,700 | $83,170 |
| 100 | Beaumont, TX | $73,570 | $45,970 | $87,150 | $81,700 |
| 101 | Toledo, OH | $73,570 | $55,390 | $82,530 | $80,440 |
| 102 | Mobile, AL | $73,170 | $46,200 | $86,440 | $83,060 |
| 103 | Atlanta, GA | $73,150 | $47,280 | $85,880 | $73,110 |
| 104 | Orlando, FL | $73,110 | $48,150 | $85,400 | $72,090 |
| 105 | Reading, PA | $72,030 | $54,330 | $80,750 | $74,210 |
| 106 | New Orleans, LA | $71,930 | $42,160 | $86,570 | $77,680 |
| 107 | San Antonio, TX | $71,930 | $47,010 | $84,200 | $75,940 |
| 108 | Colorado Springs, CO | $71,360 | $51,080 | $81,350 | $70,860 |
| 109 | Waco, TX | $71,320 | $47,610 | $83,010 | $77,060 |
| 110 | Bend, OR | $71,240 | $54,950 | $79,270 | $68,760 |
| 111 | Brownsville, TX | $71,200 | $44,910 | $84,140 | $82,810 |
| 112 | Pensacola, FL | $71,200 | $44,680 | $84,260 | $72,860 |
| 113 | Salem, OR | $71,010 | $53,910 | $79,440 | $68,510 |
| 114 | Kennewick, WA | $70,990 | $50,340 | $81,160 | $70,930 |
| 115 | Palm Bay, FL | $70,700 | $50,400 | $80,700 | $70,700 |
| 116 | Austin, TX | $70,660 | $45,860 | $82,870 | $72,050 |
| 117 | North Port, FL | $70,620 | $45,340 | $83,080 | $68,950 |
| 118 | Mount Vernon, WA | $70,570 | $42,700 | $84,300 | $68,890 |
| 119 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $70,140 | $49,170 | $80,450 | $78,840 |
| 120 | Pittsburgh, PA | $70,100 | $46,760 | $81,580 | $74,050 |
| 121 | Waterbury, CT | $70,100 | $48,590 | $80,680 | $70,260 |
| 122 | Canton, OH | $69,350 | $45,470 | $81,100 | $77,570 |
| 123 | Durham, NC | $69,060 | $50,420 | $78,230 | $70,780 |
| 124 | Midland, TX | $68,870 | $34,960 | $85,590 | $71,900 |
| 125 | Wichita, KS | $68,870 | $56,350 | $75,050 | $77,430 |
| 126 | Youngstown, OH | $68,870 | $46,160 | $80,060 | $78,800 |
| 127 | Lancaster, PA | $68,810 | $53,410 | $76,400 | $70,030 |
| 128 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $68,760 | $41,620 | $82,140 | $75,180 |
| 129 | Buffalo, NY | $68,640 | $53,560 | $76,070 | $71,620 |
| 130 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $68,410 | $50,630 | $77,170 | $70,270 |
| 131 | Modesto, CA | $68,350 | $49,320 | $77,710 | $65,650 |
| 132 | Miami, FL | $68,220 | $44,010 | $80,140 | $59,760 |
| 133 | Boise City, ID | $68,180 | $46,950 | $78,620 | $69,290 |
| 134 | Lafayette, LA | $67,910 | $41,790 | $80,790 | $77,870 |
| 135 | Lake Charles, LA | $67,850 | $40,540 | $81,290 | $79,030 |
| 136 | Gainesville, GA | $67,700 | $49,250 | $76,790 | $69,960 |
| 137 | New Haven, CT | $67,250 | $50,980 | $75,250 | $64,320 |
| 138 | Syracuse, NY | $66,480 | $48,920 | $75,130 | $69,440 |
| 139 | Fort Collins, CO | $66,410 | $49,070 | $74,960 | $65,670 |
| 140 | Houma, LA | $66,410 | $43,060 | $77,940 | $78,030 |
| 141 | Chambersburg, PA | $66,350 | $42,740 | $77,980 | $70,110 |
| 142 | Idaho Falls, ID | $66,020 | $47,550 | $75,130 | $69,930 |
| 143 | Odessa, TX | $65,960 | $39,210 | $79,140 | $70,250 |
| 144 | Decatur, AL | $65,810 | $42,950 | $77,080 | $75,460 |
| 145 | Morgantown, WV | $65,440 | $46,700 | $74,670 | $70,120 |
| 146 | Worcester, MA | $65,420 | $48,090 | $73,940 | $63,810 |
| 147 | Albany, NY | $65,230 | $50,480 | $72,510 | $65,510 |
| 148 | Erie, PA | $65,230 | $45,930 | $74,760 | $71,720 |
| 149 | Lincoln, NE | $65,150 | $46,400 | $74,380 | $71,140 |
| 150 | Nashville, TN | $65,120 | $44,160 | $75,460 | $67,600 |
| 151 | York, PA | $64,460 | $44,970 | $74,050 | $67,150 |
| 152 | Deltona, FL | $64,330 | $48,780 | $71,990 | $64,740 |
| 153 | Billings, MT | $64,290 | $44,840 | $73,860 | $68,740 |
| 154 | Wichita Falls, TX | $64,290 | $42,330 | $75,110 | $71,820 |
| 155 | Tampa, FL | $64,080 | $46,920 | $72,550 | $63,510 |
| 156 | Provo, UT | $64,040 | $51,770 | $70,080 | $65,190 |
| 157 | Little Rock, AR | $63,940 | $41,930 | $74,780 | $71,550 |
| 158 | Tucson, AZ | $63,810 | $44,430 | $73,360 | $65,850 |
| 159 | Springfield, MA | $63,460 | $46,510 | $71,820 | $66,060 |
| 160 | Hagerstown, MD-WV | $62,940 | $41,870 | $73,320 | $66,840 |
| 161 | Lexington, KY | $62,800 | $50,960 | $68,640 | $67,610 |
| 162 | El Paso, TX | $62,190 | $36,110 | $75,050 | $69,170 |
| 163 | Grand Rapids, MI | $61,880 | $46,860 | $69,260 | $64,760 |
| 164 | Phoenix, AZ | $61,820 | $45,300 | $69,950 | $59,840 |
| 165 | Utica, NY | $61,320 | $50,810 | $66,500 | $66,160 |
| 166 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $61,280 | $41,580 | $70,990 | $66,480 |
| 167 | Ocala, FL | $60,860 | $47,340 | $67,540 | $63,910 |
| 168 | Scranton, PA | $60,420 | $39,960 | $70,510 | $64,580 |
| 169 | Harrisburg, PA | $60,090 | $35,280 | $72,300 | $60,910 |
| 170 | Knoxville, TN | $60,050 | $41,080 | $69,390 | $64,870 |
| 171 | Burlington, NC | $60,010 | $46,820 | $66,500 | $64,390 |
| 172 | Des Moines, IA | $59,820 | $43,040 | $68,080 | $65,230 |
| 173 | Gainesville, FL | $59,630 | $44,840 | $66,930 | $61,640 |
| 174 | Rochester, NY | $59,400 | $37,690 | $70,100 | $61,220 |
| 175 | Peoria, IL | $58,990 | $35,610 | $70,490 | $64,660 |
| 176 | Longview, TX | $58,570 | $43,390 | $66,040 | $65,450 |
| 177 | Birmingham, AL | $57,840 | $39,730 | $66,790 | $63,110 |
| 178 | Bozeman, MT | $57,510 | $47,510 | $62,440 | $56,100 |
| 179 | Greensboro, NC | $57,010 | $44,990 | $62,940 | $61,390 |
| 180 | Shreveport, LA | $56,700 | $41,200 | $64,330 | $66,890 |
| 181 | College Station, TX | $56,660 | $41,660 | $64,040 | $62,300 |
| 182 | Tallahassee, FL | $56,080 | $37,340 | $65,310 | $59,710 |
| 183 | Hammond, LA | $55,520 | $35,110 | $65,560 | $65,740 |
| 184 | Monroe, LA | $53,410 | $33,110 | $63,420 | $63,890 |
| 185 | San Juan, PR | $48,940 | $29,520 | $58,530 | N/A |
| 186 | Athens, GA | $48,360 | $26,560 | $59,090 | $51,810 |
More
More on non-destructive testing specialists
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Non-Destructive Testing Specialist salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays non-destructive testing specialists the most?
Bremerton, WA, where the average (mean) wage is $108,700 a year, followed by Portland, ME ($106,580), Lexington Park, MD ($106,430), Baltimore, MD ($102,400). The national mean is $80,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do non-destructive testing specialists earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Charleston, WV ($107,170 at national prices, $95,080 nominal), Lexington Park, MD ($105,630 at national prices, $106,430 nominal), Las Cruces, NM ($105,300 at national prices, $94,990 nominal).
How much do non-destructive testing specialists make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $85,280; Los Angeles, CA: $74,130; Chicago, IL-IN: $83,800; Dallas, TX: $75,090; Houston, TX: $77,190 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do non-destructive testing specialists earn the least?
Of the 186 metro areas with their own estimate, Athens, GA has the lowest mean wage, $48,360. At local prices that is worth $51,810.