Weld Inspection/Non Destructive Testing

[Hopedale Hustler]

anyone here in this field or know anyone in this field....i quit working to go to school for this and im finishing december 12th....i was wondering wats the work looking like for the end of the year?? and How's the field?....alot of the other guys in class with me all have family or close friends in the field to give them advice and info...but i dont...i just want to be a CWI/API in the next few years hopefully...or possibly get into ultrasonic phased aray testing...just looking for a little info about wat companies are good and how yall like the field if theres any of you out there.....

[specktator]

specksndasurf works for NVI. Shoot him a PM.

[Asterisk-Rich]

I used to work with specksndasurf...we would go offshore and fish nonstop...those were the days!

[biglaketiger]

Originally Posted by Hopedale Hustler

anyone here in this field or know anyone in this field....i quit working to go to school for this and im finishing december 12th....i was wondering wats the work looking like for the end of the year?? and How's the field?....alot of the other guys in class with me all have family or close friends in the field to give them advice and info...but i dont...i just want to be a CWI/API in the next few years hopefully...or possibly get into ultrasonic phased aray testing...just looking for a little info about wat companies are good and how yall like the field if theres any of you out there.....

Congrads on finishing your school. The demand for specialties is at a all time high. I have been a API 510 road inspector working TA's for the last 11 years with a total of 16 years of inspection history, i started of like yourself working the NDE side gaining experience till I could test for my API's. As long as you have the drive and self motivated the sky is the limit for you. The money on the API side is running 48 to 58 dollars a hour plus time and a half after 40... we typically work 84hr work weeks. All I personally work is TA work, yes we spend quite a bit of time away from home and loved ones but on the flip side, you basically work for yourself, pick your jobs and take the time off as you like ..per diem on these jobs run from 100 to 145 dollars a day, all tax free...if you are going to work the road get a travel trailer/5th wheel...one week of perdiem will pay your note and lot space, the remaing weeks of per diem will be your tax free play money..so to answer your question yes, you will have plenty of opportunities, especially once you get a little time under your belt...hope this helps..

[eman]

if you want to make bank , get ready to travel.

[Hopedale Hustler]

Originally Posted by biglaketiger

Congrads on finishing your school. The demand for specialties is at a all time high. I have been a API 510 road inspector working TA's for the last 11 years with a total of 16 years of inspection history, i started of like yourself working the NDE side gaining experience till I could test for my API's. As long as you have the drive and self motivated the sky is the limit for you. The money on the API side is running 48 to 58 dollars a hour plus time and a half after 40... we typically work 84hr work weeks. All I personally work is TA work, yes we spend quite a bit of time away from home and loved ones but on the flip side, you basically work for yourself, pick your jobs and take the time off as you like ..per diem on these jobs run from 100 to 145 dollars a day, all tax free...if you are going to work the road get a travel trailer/5th wheel...one week of perdiem will pay your note and lot space, the remaing weeks of per diem will be your tax free play money..so to answer your question yes, you will have plenty of opportunities, especially once you get a little time under your belt...hope this helps..

man thanks for that info biglake......your pretty much where i want to be....im trying to get something lined up for after i finish school and then im going for it...i really wanna shoot for the API/CWI side of the field but my mind is wide open to level III's possibly...

[biglaketiger]

Originally Posted by Hopedale Hustler

man thanks for that info biglake......your pretty much where i want to be....im trying to get something lined up for after i finish school and then im going for it...i really wanna shoot for the API/CWI side of the field but my mind is wide open to level III's possibly...

From my experience stay on the API side if you can. You do QA (Quality Assurance) instead of the QC (Quality Control). Doing the QA you are basically working directly for the plant, you are what they call a 3rd party inspector, alot less work and whole lot better pay. In my opinion the CWI side is saturated, pay is 10 to 15 dollars or more less than the API side but still decent money. No reason why you can't have all of them (certs) overtime, you can make yourself a whole lot more marketable. If you choose NOT to travel you can still make a great living but working the contract side is always more profitable. I'm currently work a TA and we employ NDE Tech's that are recently out of NDE school, the tech's make a pretty good wage these days compared to what i made way back then. NDE techs that travel make around 25 to 30 dollars a hour plus per diem which is the same as the API's usually.

[Hopedale Hustler]

Big lake you work through a company? Or do you contract yourself out...it'd be nice travel aroun after school a little bit and make that money...i really just am willing to work about anywhere to get the experience I need before I got take my API's 3 years from now...I'm really glad your an API because I haven't had the opportunity to talk to any of you yet besides my instructor and that not lime talking to someone in the field these days....I also wanted to ask you if you were going the fall conference in Houston next month?

[biglaketiger]

Originally Posted by Hopedale Hustler

Big lake you work through a company? Or do you contract yourself out...it'd be nice travel aroun after school a little bit and make that money...i really just am willing to work about anywhere to get the experience I need before I got take my API's 3 years from now...I'm really glad your an API because I haven't had the opportunity to talk to any of you yet besides my instructor and that not lime talking to someone in the field these days....I also wanted to ask you if you were going the fall conference in Houston next month?

I contract myself out these days. I've been on both sides. I have worked for several inspection companies over the years full time and have also worked for the plant itself. Advantages of being basically self employed is working where I choose and taking as much time off as I want. I set a dollar figure every year on what I want to achieve and once i hit that i'm done. I work on average about 7 months out of the year, sometimes more but that's by choice. I usually take the entire summer off and holidays from thanksgiving through Christmas. I live on Big Lake so all that time off gives me all the time on the water and in the duck blind I can stand. Working TA's on the road is seasonal, most work is from Jan -April then sept - nov...with the occasional chemical plant work in the summer months. As for the summit in houston no i won't make it, i went to the first one a few years back and haven't been back. I'm too busy right now with work anyway, i'm in Belle Chase, La right now then head to port arthur, tx as soon as this one is over. Feel free to ask any questions you may have or if you need some help getting hooked up with some inspection companies. Where do you live?

[Hopedale Hustler]

Thanks i appreciate it man more than you know...im in competition with 22 other guys out of my class for jobs when its all over...and about 20 of them all have dads or brothers or best friends in the field to guide them along...so far you been the only person in the field that i have really talked to and your giving me great info....i appreciate that...i live near baton rouge in Hammond at the time being...ive tried talking to a few companies over the past few months but they really dont seem to want to give a student the time of day which i understand...im eventually gonna start working my way west some to try to talk to other companies too...i just havent had time yet...this school aint no joke...i just passed my level II RT course now all i have left iss UTT and shearwave and im done...cant wait to get working though,,,its tough to just take off 7 or 8 months to pursue something different but i hope its worth it...

[biglaketiger]

Originally Posted by Hopedale Hustler

Thanks i appreciate it man more than you know...im in competition with 22 other guys out of my class for jobs when its all over...and about 20 of them all have dads or brothers or best friends in the field to guide them along...so far you been the only person in the field that i have really talked to and your giving me great info....i appreciate that...i live near baton rouge in Hammond at the time being...ive tried talking to a few companies over the past few months but they really dont seem to want to give a student the time of day which i understand...im eventually gonna start working my way west some to try to talk to other companies too...i just havent had time yet...this school aint no joke...i just passed my level II RT course now all i have left iss UTT and shearwave and im done...cant wait to get working though,,,its tough to just take off 7 or 8 months to pursue something different but i hope its worth it...

It definitely be worth it man. Once you graduate and get you NDE certs you will be very marketable. There are a lot of NDE guys out working right now that have had no formal training like yourself, that training you have will take you as far as you want to go. It won't happen all at once but in due time the work and money will be there. Everyone of us API inspectors have started out just like you. Do your time, learn every chance you get and in a few years start trying to test for your API's. I can give you a number for a guy named Steve Rayburn, he runs a inspection company in Baton Rouge area, it's called JZR, they will give you a shot i promise you that, they are looking for qualified guys like yourself right now. His number is 225-614-3315. Tell him Chad gave you this number, he is working nights right now so call him after 4pm. Other companies would be Gulf Engineering in the new orleans area, Alltech Inspection in the St. Charles, la area, Pro Inspect, Accuren, Matrix. All of these guys hire NDE techs quite often. Good Luck

[Hopedale Hustler]

thanks man...i appreciate it so much if your ever this way we'll have to hook up and do some fishin.....ill let you know how it goes...Thanks.

[Hebert]

I did NDI for 16 years in the military on jets and helicopters ..I'm level 2 in UT,RT,ET,MT,PT ..I got out for about a year and half in 2001 and worked at a lil inspection company out of sulphur doing petrochemical NDE....it was ok but the work is a lot dirtier/dangerous than aviation...it made me decide to go back into the military to finish my 20 yrs lol If I decide to do NDI again it will prob be on the aviation side...If I go petro..I won't do gamma Xray again..I will stick to UT shear wave,MT,PT,ET or API...and of course since I'm retired now it will probably have to be part time

I enjoyed the NDI/NDT field.....its a great field..always in demand cuz its not a common profession... the opportunity's are limitless depending on your motivation to get certifications and you can make some serious cash doing it. your gonna have to work at one of the inspection companies for awhile to get your experience built up to go for your API's...I think it's like 5 yrs of experience to be eligible to take the API's...atleast there was back in 02...not sure though...biglake can help ya on that.....If it was me in your shoes, I'd concentrate on UT shear wave and CWI for those 5 yrs then get your API's .

if I was a young man looking for a career...without a doubt I'd choose NDI again....finish ya school and hit the ground running! Good luck and stay safe.

[Hopedale Hustler]

Originally Posted by Hebert

I did NDI for 16 years in the military on jets and helicopters ..I'm level 2 in UT,RT,ET,MT,PT ..I got out for about a year and half in 2001 and worked at a lil inspection company out of sulphur doing petrochemical NDE....it was ok but the work is a lot dirtier/dangerous than aviation...it made me decide to go back into the military to finish my 20 yrs lol If I decide to do NDI again it will prob be on the aviation side...If I go petro..I won't do gamma Xray again..I will stick to UT shear wave,MT,PT,ET or API...and of course since I'm retired now it will probably have to be part time

I enjoyed the NDI/NDT field.....its a great field..always in demand cuz its not a common profession... the opportunity's are limitless depending on your motivation to get certifications and you can make some serious cash doing it. your gonna have to work at one of the inspection companies for awhile to get your experience built up to go for your API's...I think it's like 5 yrs of experience to be eligible to take the API's...atleast there was back in 02...not sure though...biglake can help ya on that.....If it was me in your shoes, I'd concentrate on UT shear wave and CWI for those 5 yrs then get your API's .

if I was a young man looking for a career...without a doubt I'd choose NDI again....finish ya school and hit the ground running! Good luck and stay safe.

thanks man....thats the plan only now a days they let u get your API's after 3 years field experience and it takes 5 for CWI...but Shearwave is where i want to be until i get to that point..i cant wait to get after it..

[Hebert]

awesome 3 years wait ain't bad then.....live, eat and breath shear wave for those 3 yrs as much as you can..

here is prob the best website for NDT jobs.... www.inspectionjobs.com

you know your in demand when they create a website to find people with your skillz

[Hopedale Hustler]

ya they got plenty of jobs...its a little tougher to find one out of skool but it'll be ok...im sure i'll get going.

[Zachary Boy]

I'm glad this thread was started as my son is fixin' to finish his schooling for this field. When he tried to describe what he was studying, it was all 'Greek' to me. I feel confident now that he has chosen a good field of study. I would hope he could find some work locally, but he's young and full of p!$$ and vinegar and willing to travel . He just wants to get his foot in the door. Thanks to y'all for the encouragement and good luck Hopedale...

[adamsfence]

i also work qc work for a company in white castle give me a hollar when you graduate i can give you a few numbers to call ..... you will like it some jobs you have a ton of down time some its balls to the walls.....

[southern151]

This is a great field for ya! I weld in those plants and I SOOOOO wish I had gone the inspection route! My eyes wish I had gone the inspection route! Now, I am trying to get out of it all together.

Stick with it! I worked with a woman who was a 510 back in '08. At that time, she was getting $39/hr, doubletime after 8hrs and double all day Sat. and Sun.! She was also getting $125 day per diem!

BigLake, I heard a rumor the other day that now, in order to get your API certs, you must first have your CWI. Is there any truth to this?

Also, Hopedale, I've got a jump drive with all sorts of API & AWS stuff on it. Let me know and I can try to get a copy of it to you.

[Finfeatherfur]

HH - I work for a consulting company in Lafayette and currently I have 54 API 510 or 653 inspectors out for us and they are working from Portland, OR and Burbank, CA all the way to upstate New York and up and down the east coast. We also have some working right here in our back yard at local fab shops such as Crown in Patterson, and Acadian Contractors in the port of Vermillion. Total, we employ over 100 people, but 54 have the stamp and we are growing everyday.

The ones that travel for jobs that are out of state all make big bucks using the travel trailer method of living. As stated earlier, after one week, your expenses are paid and the rest is profit. You also get paid mileage so hauling it is not so bad either.

When you finish, come by and I can let you talk to some of the guys here to answer some of your questions. Another need that we have is NACE coatings inspectors. If you get that along with your CWI, that will increase your demand.

Good Luck!