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The differences between continuous improvement leaders and quality assurance supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a continuous improvement leader and a quality assurance supervisor. Additionally, a continuous improvement leader has an average salary of $85,851, which is higher than the $66,145 average annual salary of a quality assurance supervisor.
The top three skills for a continuous improvement leader include lean six sigma, sigma and process improvement. The most important skills for a quality assurance supervisor are food safety, product quality, and corrective action.
| Continuous Improvement Leader | Quality Assurance Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $85,851 | $66,145 |
| Hourly rate | $41.27 | $31.80 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 35,627 | 82,301 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A continuous improvement leader is an individual who is responsible for measuring and testing procedures to improve production efficiency in a company. Continuous improvement leaders must work closely with human resources employees or trainers so that they can develop a curriculum to bring hires to their peak efficiency quickly. They are required to improve processes and systems in the company as well as implement programs that have continuing long-term benefits. Continuous improvement leaders must also supervise and direct the work of staff members of the CI department.
A quality assurance supervisor oversees and leads the quality control operations within a manufacturing plant or similar establishment. They are primarily responsible for crafting and implementing policies that prioritize the efficiency of products or services, supervising and evaluating the performances of the workforce, and setting standards and procedures that align not just with the goals of the company, but the national and international level of production standards. Furthermore, as a supervisor in the field, it is crucial to encourage and shape quality assurance workers into valuable members of the company.
Continuous improvement leaders and quality assurance supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Continuous Improvement Leader | Quality Assurance Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $85,851 | $66,145 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $115,000 | Between $46,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fall River, MA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Bunge | Bristol-Myers Squibb |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a continuous improvement leader and a quality assurance supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Continuous Improvement Leader | Quality Assurance Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between continuous improvement leaders' and quality assurance supervisors' demographics:
| Continuous Improvement Leader | Quality Assurance Supervisor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.8% Female, 25.2% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 5.4% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 4.6% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |