Associate director, quality assurance vs project quality manager

The differences between associate directors, quality assurance and project quality managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an associate director, quality assurance and a project quality manager. Additionally, an associate director, quality assurance has an average salary of $131,112, which is higher than the $116,803 average annual salary of a project quality manager.

The top three skills for an associate director, quality assurance include qa management, FDA and GMP. The most important skills for a project quality manager are project management, continuous improvement, and project quality.

Associate director, quality assurance vs project quality manager overview

	Associate Director, Quality Assurance	Project Quality Manager
Yearly salary	$131,112	$116,803
Hourly rate	$63.03	$56.16
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	67,521	164,861
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

What does an associate director, quality assurance do?

Quality analysts act as problem solvers and testers of products or services in the production phase. They are responsible for the development and support of testing, process planning, design, and execution. These professionals need to have skills such as good communication skills, logic and reasoning, information technology skills, and a creative mindset. They should also be equipped with knowledge about the testing techniques. A computer science bachelor's degree or any of its associated fields is necessary to become a quality analyst.

What does a project quality manager do?

The role of a project quality manager is to spearhead and oversee the quality control and assurance procedures for various projects. They typically coordinate with project managers to identify the projects' needs and goals, ensuring timeliness and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities also include managing quality control and assurance teams, setting goals and objectives, establishing guidelines, and developing strategies to optimize operations. Furthermore, as a manager, it is their duty to lead and encourage teams to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

Associate director, quality assurance vs project quality manager salary

Associate directors, quality assurance and project quality managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Associate Director, Quality Assurance	Project Quality Manager
Average salary	$131,112	$116,803
Salary range	Between $93,000 And $183,000	Between $85,000 And $159,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Corcept Therapeutics	Tesla
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Construction

Differences between associate director, quality assurance and project quality manager education

There are a few differences between an associate director, quality assurance and a project quality manager in terms of educational background:

	Associate Director, Quality Assurance	Project Quality Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Associate director, quality assurance vs project quality manager demographics

Here are the differences between associate directors, quality assurance' and project quality managers' demographics:

	Associate Director, Quality Assurance	Project Quality Manager
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2%	Male, 69.9% Female, 30.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between associate director, quality assurance and project quality manager duties and responsibilities

Associate director, quality assurance example responsibilities.

Create and manage worldwide GCP, GMP, and GLP audit program.
Manage and report quality data metrics including audits, investigations, CAPA, for management review meetings and steering committee meetings.
Manage large scale automation platform to perform regression and functional verification.
Manage initial USDA regulatory visits, working collaboratively with USDA inspectors leading audit preparation and follow-up activities and reports.
Authore SVMP and SMF for MHRA (EU) certification.
Train company on QSR, cGMP, and ISO regulations.

Project quality manager example responsibilities.

Manage the development and compilation of PPAP documentation per internal and customer requirements.
Manage initial USDA regulatory visits, working collaboratively with USDA inspectors leading audit preparation and follow-up activities and reports.
Maintain current knowledge of FDA, ISO, (including risk management), and industry requirements.
Advise QA and manufacturing department staff and deploy quality standard management tools to assist in meeting quality objectives.
Deliver projects on time and within quality scope requirements and commitments to the regulatory governing body (FDA).
Prepare project departments for company ISO certification.

Associate director, quality assurance vs project quality manager skills

Common associate director, quality assurance skills

Qa Management, 8%
FDA, 6%
GMP, 6%
GCP, 5%
ICH, 4%
CAPA, 4%

Common project quality manager skills

Project Management, 15%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Project Quality, 5%
Process Improvement, 4%
Quality Improvement, 4%
ISO, 4%

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Associate Director, Quality Assurance
Associate Director, Quality Assurance vs Project Quality Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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