RT Level 2 Course — Radiographic Testing Level II Training
RT Level II requires 40 training hours beyond Level I — 80 cumulative — and 630 additional hours of RT experience, 840 cumulative, under SNT-TC-1A. Level II holds film interpretation authority: judging density, IQI sensitivity, and discontinuities against code acceptance criteria, and signing the report. Radiation-source operation still requires the separate 10 CFR Part 34 safety qualification — method certification never covers it.
| Method | Radiographic Testing (RT) |
|---|---|
| Level | Level II |
| Scheme | ASNT SNT-TC-1A (employer-based) |
| Prerequisites | Level I in the method (or the combined Level I + II hours); documented on-the-job experience; annual vision checks |
| Training hours | 40 h classroom + 630 h on-the-job experience (in addition to Level I: 40 h classroom, 210 h OJT) — SNT-TC-1A recommended minimums from our training requirements matrix; your written practice sets the binding figures |
| Delivery | Live online · Onsite at your facility |
| Practical exam | Administered by an ASNT Level III under your written practice |
| Practice | Practical NDT simulator (practice only — not a substitute for the practical exam) |
| Instructor | Anoop Rayavarapu, ASNT NDT Level III |
Request a course quote — no published prices; quote within one business day.
Film interpretation authority is what the RT Level II certification exists to confer, and it is the scarcest skill in US radiography. The Level II reads each radiograph twice: first for image quality — density in the acceptable range, correct IQI and visible sensitivity, no masking artifacts — and only then for the weld, grading porosity, slag, incomplete penetration, and cracks against ASME Section V referencing codes or API 1104. The 40/630 hour increments stack on Level I's 40/210 per SNT-TC-1A Table 6.3.1A, with direct Level II permitted at the summed 80/840. The radiation-safety track under 10 CFR Part 34 remains untouched by any of this: a Level II interpreting film in a viewing room needs no source authority, while one running field exposures needs full radiographer certification. Method fundamentals live at /radiographic-testing-training, the Level II landscape at /ndt-level-2-training, and hour tables at /blog/ndt-training-hours-requirements-by-method.
Source: ASNT SNT-TC-1A (2020), Table 6.3.1A; US NRC 10 CFR Part 34; ASME Section V, Article 2 (referenced viewing and IQI practice)
| Requirement | Level I | Level II (cumulative) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal training | 40 hours | +40 hours (80 total) | Level II course is interpretation and code-criteria heavy |
| RT experience | 210 hours | +630 hours (840 total) | Direct Level II candidates log all 840 as documented trainees |
| Image quality judgment | Processes film per instruction | Accepts/rejects radiographs for density, IQI sensitivity, artifacts | Typical film viewing runs ~1.8–4.0 density under ASME V practice |
| Discontinuity evaluation | None | Grades indications against code acceptance criteria | ASME V referencing codes, AWS D1.1, API 1104 |
| Reporting | Feeds exposed film to Level II | Signs radiographic inspection reports | The billable deliverable |
| Source operation | Assistant under direct supervision | Unchanged by Level II — separate 10 CFR 34 track | IRRSP + licensee exams required regardless of NDT level |
| Exams | General, specific, practical | All three at Level II depth, practical on film reading | 80% composite recommended |
The requirement stack for RT Level II
SNT-TC-1A adds 40 formal training hours and 630 RT experience hours to Level I's base — 80 and 840 cumulative — with direct-to-Level II certification available at the summed totals for documented trainees. The employer's Level III administers general, specific, and practical exams at a recommended 80 percent composite, and the written practice fixes the binding numbers. What makes RT Level II distinctive is where the practical weight falls: interpretation. A candidate can be a flawless field radiographer and still fail Level II exams on film reading, because the certification is fundamentally about judgment over images, not exposure mechanics. Hour comparisons across every method sit at /blog/ndt-training-hours-requirements-by-method.
Film interpretation: the authority Level II exists to confer
A Level II reads every radiograph twice. The first pass judges the image itself: is density within the viewing range — commonly around 1.8 to 4.0 under ASME Section V practice — is the correct IQI present with required sensitivity visible, is coverage complete, and are artifacts absent or identifiable as non-relevant? Only a technically acceptable radiograph earns the second pass: grading the weld or casting. Porosity, slag inclusions, incomplete fusion, incomplete penetration, undercut, and cracks each have code-specific acceptance limits, and distinguishing a crack from a scratch or processing artifact is exactly the skill the 630 experience hours exist to build. The Level II's signature on that judgment is the product the client buys.
What the Level II course and exams cover
The 40 Level II classroom hours shift from making images to judging them: densitometry and viewing conditions, IQI selection and placement logic, geometric unsharpness control, technique selection for varying thickness, and systematic discontinuity recognition across weld and casting radiographs. Exams follow the standard three-part structure. The general exam tests radiographic principles at depth — expect exposure technique, image quality variables, and discontinuity identification. The specific exam drills your employer's procedures and governing code tables. The practical is dominated by a film-reading exercise: a stack of radiographs to grade, with your dispositions scored against the Level III's master answers. Interpretation errors, not physics questions, are where candidates fail.
The radiation-safety distinction, restated for Level II
Nothing about advancing to Level II touches the regulatory track. Operating gamma or X-ray exposure devices in US industrial radiography requires radiation-safety certification through a recognized certifying entity — ASNT's IRRSP program is standard — plus licensee-administered exams, three-device dosimetry per 10 CFR 34.47, and the two-person rule at temporary sites per 10 CFR 34.41. A Level II who interprets film in an office needs none of it; a Level II running field exposures needs all of it, at any NDT level. Employers structure crews accordingly: field radiographers hold both tracks, while some interpretation specialists hold method certification alone. Confusing the tracks on a resume is an immediate credibility flag.
Film versus digital: where US practice actually is
Film remains the working medium across most US pipeline and much pressure-vessel radiography, so darkroom competence and densitometer fluency stay examinable skills. But computed radiography (CR) and direct digital arrays (DR) are displacing film steadily, led by shops chasing throughput and archiving advantages. For a Level II this means a widening skill set: digital detector characteristics, contrast-to-noise judgment, software measurement and annotation tools, and digital IQI practice under the same code logic. SNT-TC-1A's hour structure does not change, but written practices increasingly append CR/DR modules and supplemental specific exams. Candidates who can interpret confidently across both media are the most employable radiographers in the current US market.
Vision requirements — stricter stakes at Level II
The formal regime matches other methods: annual near-vision acuity at Jaeger No. 2 or equivalent from not less than 12 inches, color-contrast differentiation at certification and at intervals not exceeding five years. For an interpreting Level II, near vision is not a compliance checkbox but the working instrument — fine porosity and tight crack indications sit at the threshold of visual acuity under viewer illumination. Written practices for radiography frequently specify viewing-room conditions alongside personnel vision: calibrated high-luminance viewers, low ambient light, and dark adaptation time. A Level II whose vision exam lapses loses interpretation authority immediately, so the annual check belongs on a calendar, not a to-do list.
Demand and pay for RT Level II in the US
Interpretation authority is chronically scarce, and pay reflects it. PayScale reports certified RT Level II holders averaging roughly $65,000–$70,000, against the BLS all-levels median of $78,350 for NDT specialists (May 2025); ZipRecruiter's NDT Level 2 range of $48,000–$90,000 brackets the field, with pipeline radiographers at the top once per-diem and overtime stack. Employers hiring RT Level II ask for the complete package: SNT-TC-1A records, current vision exam, IRRSP card for field roles, code-specific film-reading experience, and a clean dosimetry history. Regional and industry breakdowns, including the pipeline premium, are maintained at /blog/ndt-salary-guide-2026-global.
Where RT Level II leads
Three paths branch from RT Level II. The technique path moves into CR/DR leadership and advanced applications as digital adoption spreads. The code path adds API 1104 fluency toward pipeline QC roles, or AWS CWI and API credentials that convert an interpreter into an inspection authority. The certification path banks the hours toward ASNT Level III in RT — the person who writes technique sheets, approves procedures, and administers the exams you just passed. Cross-training is the near-term multiplier: RT Level IIs who add UT read both volumetric methods and become the most flexible people on any integrity crew. The lateral view across methods is at /ndt-level-2-training.
Training RT Level II with Atlantis
Atlantis NDT's 40-hour RT Level II course is built around interpretation: graded film-reading libraries spanning weld and casting discontinuities, densitometry and IQI practice, and code acceptance drills against ASME Section V referencing codes and API 1104. For employers, our ASNT Level III consultants administer the full qualification cycle — written practices that correctly separate method and radiation-safety tracks, examinations with defensible film-reading masters, and audit-ready records. Affordable, accessible, fully customizable to your procedures and media mix, film or digital. Start at /radiographic-testing-training for the method program, then request a quote for individual certification or a full crew upgrade.
What does film interpretation authority actually mean?
The Level II decides whether each radiograph is itself acceptable — density, IQI sensitivity, artifacts — and then whether the weld or casting it shows meets code. Both judgments carry the technician's signature and bind the inspection record.
Does RT Level II qualify me to operate radiation sources?
No. Source operation is governed entirely by 10 CFR Part 34 and Agreement State rules — certifying-entity certification such as IRRSP plus licensee exams. An RT Level II without that track can interpret film but cannot shoot it.
Is there a film-interpretation-only certification?
Yes. Many written practices define a limited Level II — often called RTFI or radiographic film interpreter — restricted to interpretation with reduced experience hours. It suits engineers and QC staff who review film but never perform exposures.
How does digital radiography change Level II requirements?
The hour structure is unchanged, but written practices add CR/DR-specific training covering detector characteristics, software measurement tools, and digital IQI practice. Employers migrating from film typically administer a supplemental specific exam rather than a full recertification.
What codes govern RT Level II acceptance decisions in the US?
ASME Section V Article 2 sets technique and image quality, with acceptance criteria from referencing codes like Section VIII or B31.3; API 1104 governs pipeline girth welds; AWS D1.1 covers structural steel. Your specific exam targets the code your employer works under.
How long from RT Level I to Level II?
The 630 additional experience hours represent roughly four to six months of full-time radiographic work, plus the 40-hour Level II course and exams. Pipeline crews working long turnaround seasons often bank the hours faster than the calendar suggests.