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The differences between engineering project specialists 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 an engineering project specialist, becoming a quality engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an engineering project specialist has an average salary of $107,780, which is higher than the $79,672 average annual salary of a quality engineer.
The top three skills for an engineering project specialist include project management, program management and BOM. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Engineering Project Specialist | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,780 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $51.82 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 64,773 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
The primary role of an engineering project specialist is overseeing the project process until its completion. They are the ones who are in constant communication with the contractors, suppliers, and stakeholders, from accounting to inventory to deliveries and even to hiring new staff to increase the workforce, so that a project will be completed on time, with no missing parts, and with no fail. If a problem arises, engineering project specialists can troubleshoot and find a timely solution.
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.
Engineering project specialists and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Project Specialist | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,780 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $164,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Farmington, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering project specialist and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Project Specialist | Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between engineering project specialists' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Engineering Project Specialist | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 11.9% White, 71.8% 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% |