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The differences between directors of quality & engineering and quality engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a director of quality & engineering, becoming a quality engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a director of quality & engineering has an average salary of $140,891, which is higher than the $79,672 average annual salary of a quality engineer.
The top three skills for a director of quality & engineering include quality engineering, continuous improvement and product quality. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Director Of Quality & Engineering | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $140,891 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $67.74 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 118,665 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A director of quality and engineering spearheads and oversees the overall quality and engineering operations of a company. They have the responsibility to set goals and budgets, establish product roadmaps and guidelines, coordinate managers, and build positive relationships with business partners. They must also address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. Moreover, as a director of quality and engineering, they must enforce quality standards and company policies to ensure efficient results and smooth workflow.
A quality engineer's responsibilities include ensuring that the manufacturing processes are efficient and accurate, documenting findings that would raise concerns, conducting quality tests while observing parameters, and implementing changes as necessary to meet the highest quality standards. Quality engineers need to have excellent problem-solving and observation skills to detect any irregularities and possible malfunctions. They also must be able to communicate effectively with the clients for feedbacks and corrective adjustments, address complaints, and immediately resolve any inconsistencies made.
Directors of quality & engineering and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Quality & Engineering | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $140,891 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $98,000 And $201,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a director of quality & engineering and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Quality & Engineering | Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between directors of quality & engineering' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Director Of Quality & Engineering | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.9% Female, 15.1% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 16.2% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 4% |