NDT inspection cost in Jackson: Ultrasonic Testing rates
Field-anchored pricing guide for UT (Ultrasonic Testing) and the other five common NDT methods in Jackson, MS. Rates are quoted in USD per hour and reflect the Tier-3 labour band that applies across southeast markets.
Mississippi-power-gen UT and PT inspection on boiler and HRSG components runs on NERC outage clocks — a cal slip that pushes the inspection past the outage window pushes the unit return-to-service.
Low band
$203
per hour · routine scope, full-day crew
Typical
$383
per hour · most jobs land here
High band
$630
per hour · turnaround / night shift / rope access
Jackson, MS hosts a lean NDT contractor ecosystem built around power generation and manufacturing. Entergy Mississippi, Nissan Canton, and the wider southeast operator pool route UT scope through pre-qualified providers — losing a Level II credential here costs real money on outage windows.
Power generation is a core industrial driver of NDT demand in Jackson.. That industrial substrate is what places Jackson, MS on the short list for UT programme contracts: condenser tube ECT cadence, ASME oversight, and the Power utility footprint at Entergy Mississippi operations HQ all push the UT day-rate above generic regional benchmarks.
Spring TARs (Apr-May) brings the seasonal peak — expect crew rotation to tighten and spot-buy premiums to land at the upper bound of the published rate band. Automotive plant adds robotic-weld inspection volume
ASME sets the documentary depth UT reports must reach in Jackson, MS — and NERC layers a second audit trail on top. The method-level reference is BPVC Sec V Art. 4 (UT general); industry-side, ASME Section I is the standard that owners cite in the bid pack. Procedures must demonstrate currency on both before the crew is cleared at gates like Entergy Mississippi.
- ASME
- NERC
- PHMSA
- BPVC Sec V Art. 4 (UT general)
- BPVC Sec V Art. 5 (UT thickness)
- BPVC Sec VIII Div 1 UW-53
A typical UT bid in Jackson, MS lands at $618/day for Level II work and roughly $1069/day for Level III sign-off authority. Mobilisation surcharge runs medium (band-M), with COL index 84 feeding the labour line. Entergy Mississippi programme contracts trade volume against rate; spot-buys pay the 10–20% premium. The full multiplier resolves at ×0.95 once transport and demand-density are layered in.
| Line item | Rate | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly labour (Level II) | $62–$93/hr | standard programme rate |
| Hourly labour (Level III) | $134/hr | procedure qualification + disposition |
| Day rate (Level II) | $618/day | 8 hours, ≤30 km from base |
| Equipment surcharge | $266/day | instrument + consumables |
| Mobilisation | $525/trip | medium transport-surcharge band |
| Outage / night-shift uplift | +25–40% | turnaround windows and weekend work |
Effective multiplier vs national base: ×0.95 · transport surcharge band: medium.
The Jackson, MS UT contractor base is sized to recurring demand from Entergy Mississippi, Nissan Canton, Continental Tire. Provider listings on NDT Connect include current ASNT certification level, instrument calibration status, and named-site experience — replacing the email-and-spreadsheet pre-qualification dance most procurement teams still run for new vendors.
Major regional clients served
- Entergy Mississippi
- Nissan Canton
- Continental Tire
- Ergon Refining (regional)
- Siemens
For the power generation operators that dominate the Jackson, MS industrial base, UT is the workhorse for weld inspection (full penetration butt welds, fillet welds). Power generation is a core industrial driver of NDT demand in Jackson. means the scope is dense, repeatable, and tightly specified — with steam header populations driving the recurring volume.
Local crews run UT packages calibrated for creep cavitation, deliver A-scan trace, and close the disposition against ASME. Condenser tube ECT bundle scope accounts for the bulk of billable hours; condenser tube ECT cycles drive the seasonal peaks. BPVC Sec V Art. 4 (UT general) sign-off authority is the contractor capability that consistently wins the bid here.
Power-gen UT/PT on boiler and HRSG components runs on NERC outage clocks. Entergy Mississippi pre-qualifications are the gatekeeper — crews who already hold them win the volume work; new entrants run the onboarding gauntlet first. Automotive plant adds robotic-weld inspection volume
Inspectors qualifying into the Jackson, MS UT market route through ASNT Southeast Section for ASNT Level II/III certification under SNT-TC-1A or CP-189. Total Level II training time for UT runs roughly 880 hours including classroom and on-the-job experience. Welding-related credentials route through AWS Southeast Section for AWS CWI exam access; the nearest API exam centre handles 510/570/653 logistics. Prerequisite per ASNT: high-school physics or equivalent.
- ASNT chapter: ASNT Southeast Section
- AWS section: AWS Southeast Section
- API exam centre: access via nearest regional centre
How much does UT cost in Jackson, MS?
UT (Ultrasonic Testing) day-rates in Jackson, MS typically clear at $618/day for Level II crews, with the pricing multiplier on the national base running ×0.95 (transport surcharge band: medium). Local Level II inspector wages average $61,000/year per BLS, which anchors that day-rate band. Always solicit at least three parallel quotes before committing programme spend.
Which Jackson, MS sites use UT most often?
Entergy Mississippi and Nissan Canton are the high-volume UT buyers in Jackson, MS. The power utility footprint at Entergy Mississippi operations HQ is a recurring UT mobilisation point. Pre-qualification at these gates is what unlocks the volume contracts.
What credentials do UT inspectors need to work in Jackson, MS?
Working UT scope in Jackson, MS requires ASNT Level II for the method (roughly 880 total training hours to qualify), plus ASNT Southeast Section membership is common. AWS CWI is required for welding-related scope; API 510/570/653 tickets unlock pressure-equipment work. API exam logistics route through the nearest regional centre.
What power generation failure modes does UT screen for in Jackson, MS?
On power generation jobs in Jackson, MS, UT is most often called for creep cavitation screening. Recurring scope on condenser tube ECT cycles drives the volume. The technique sits inside ASME's acceptance framework, and local crews build inspection plans around the failure modes the power generation owners audit hardest.
How fast can a UT crew mobilise in Jackson, MS?
Routine UT scope in Jackson, MS typically picks up a certified crew within 24–72 hours of posting a request — the established contractor base around Entergy Mississippi keeps mobilisation lead times short. Outage windows and turnaround support are negotiated against rotation; post the scope to NDT Connect to receive parallel quotes from providers already pre-qualified at Jackson, MS sites.
What standards govern UT acceptance in Jackson, MS?
UT examinations in Jackson, MS reference BPVC Sec V Art. 4 (UT general) / BPVC Sec V Art. 5 (UT thickness) as the technical floor and ASME, NERC for documentary compliance. Entergy Mississippi's qualification matrix layers an additional customer-specific spec on top — procedures must close on all three before the crew is cleared at the gate.
Method
Ultrasonic Testing
Abbreviation
UT
Labour band
Tier 3 (×0.90)
Code authority
ASME
Get a quote
Post a UT scope and receive parallel quotes from certified Jackson providers.
Request a quotePricing caveat
The numbers above are field-anchored ranges, not a quote. Actual Jackson rates vary with scope, accessibility, shift, and contractor utilisation. Always solicit at least three quotes before committing programme spend.
Compare UT rates in nearby cities
Verified Jackson, MS Inspection-Market Data
Hard numbers from BLS, EIA, AAPA, Census & API directories — anchoring this page to Jackson, MS's actual NDT market, not a generic template.
- Local Wage Anchor — Level II NDT Technician
- $61K/yr typical for Jackson, MS
- Metro Industrial Base
- 590K people in Jackson, MS
- Sector Mix (NDT Demand Drivers)
- Power generation (45%) · Manufacturing (32%) · Pipelines (23%)
- ASNT Chapter / Community
- ASNT Southeast Section
- Cost-of-Living Impact on Rate Cards
- COL index 84.0 (16.0 pts below national avg) · transport surcharge band: medium
Source: BLS OES May 2024 metro tables (NDT inspector proxy occupations)
Source: US Census ACS 2023
Source: BEA Regional Accounts 2023
Source: ASNT chapter directory
Source: C2ER ACCRA COL Index 2024
Continue Reading — In-Depth Guides
Authored by ASNT Level III inspectors. Real procedures, real numbers, real codes.
- Ultrasonic Testing — Complete GuidePhysics, calibration, codes, equipment, applications.
- Phased Array UT (PAUT) — Complete GuideBeam steering, focal laws, scan plans, ISO 13588.
- Ultrasonic Testing MethodMethod-level overview, equipment, standards.
- How to Calibrate a UT Flaw DetectorStep-by-step DAC, sensitivity, gate setup.
- How to Perform Thickness Survey on PipingUT scan plan, CMLs, API 570 grid.
Join NDT Connect — free
Get UT inspection quotes in Jackson, or list your services — free on NDT Connect.
Free to join · No credit card · Provider profiles verified against ASNT & API rosters · Browse providers
