Associate director, quality assurance vs quality systems manager

The differences between associate directors, quality assurance and quality systems 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 quality systems manager. Additionally, an associate director, quality assurance has an average salary of $131,112, which is higher than the $102,625 average annual salary of a quality systems manager.

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

Associate director, quality assurance vs quality systems manager overview

	Associate Director, Quality Assurance	Quality Systems Manager
Yearly salary	$131,112	$102,625
Hourly rate	$63.03	$49.34
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	67,521	123,519
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
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 quality systems manager do?

A quality systems manager is an individual who monitors the production processes of a manufacturing firm to ensure that factory machinery and people produce goods and products according to the company and industry requirements. Quality systems managers are required to supervise supervisors and inspectors to make sure that quality control measures are carried out properly. They must develop and improve all policies and procedures, which can impact the effectiveness of the company's quality systems. Quality systems managers are also required to coordinate with the top management in formulating company policies.

Associate director, quality assurance vs quality systems manager salary

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

	Associate Director, Quality Assurance	Quality Systems Manager
Average salary	$131,112	$102,625
Salary range	Between $93,000 And $183,000	Between $72,000 And $145,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Alaska
Best paying company	Corcept Therapeutics	Meta
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Pharmaceutical

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

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

	Associate Director, Quality Assurance	Quality Systems Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Associate director, quality assurance vs quality systems manager demographics

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

	Associate Director, Quality Assurance	Quality Systems Manager
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2%	Male, 70.1% Female, 29.9%
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, 13.1% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between associate director, quality assurance and quality systems 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.

Quality systems manager example responsibilities.

Lead Kaizen event to improve receiving inspection area for better product flow.
Develop stability protocols and manage stability studies for drug and device products using FDA guidelines.
Perform supplier audits, GMP company audits, project management, and annual drug reviews.
Coordinate the relaunch of the HACCP program.
Provide guidance and oversight on quality assurance and quality control issues.
Implement hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) program for risk management.

Associate director, quality assurance vs quality systems manager skills

Common associate director, quality assurance skills

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

Common quality systems manager skills

Continuous Improvement, 7%
Quality Management System, 7%
FDA, 6%
CAPA, 5%
Medical Devices, 5%
Corrective Action, 4%

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Associate Director, Quality Assurance
Associate Director, Quality Assurance vs Quality Systems Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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