A picosecond laser for incremental annular trench cutting is combined with digital image correlation (DIC) to extend the incremental ring-core method to the profiling of residual stress in thick (>100 μm) coatings. In this case the local residual stress in a TBC is depth profiled after exposure to 1150 °C for 190 h. The topcoat was found to be in compression with an average compressive stress of −94 ± 8 MPa which is representative of the stresses that would be generated elastically on cooling from a stress-free temperature of ~970 °C. The stress profile measurements have been validated by high-energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements. © 2019