Laboratory manager vs lead quality control

The differences between laboratory managers and lead quality controls can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a laboratory manager and a lead quality control. Additionally, a lead quality control has an average salary of $85,375, which is higher than the $74,314 average annual salary of a laboratory manager.

The top three skills for a laboratory manager include lab equipment, patients and customer service. The most important skills for a lead quality control are GMP, safety procedures, and quality checks.

Laboratory manager vs lead quality control overview

	Laboratory Manager	Lead Quality Control
Yearly salary	$74,314	$85,375
Hourly rate	$35.73	$41.05
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	43,321	83,633
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	6	6

What does a laboratory manager do?

Laboratory managers provide accurate laboratory diagnosis through evaluating specimen procedures and coordinating with pathologists to validate laboratory findings. They are responsible for maintaining laboratory tools and equipment, ensuring the proper sterilization of instruments before and after use, organizing equipment based on its function, and immediately repairing or replacing defective items. A laboratory manager also secures the confidentiality of laboratory systems, keeping records of results, and releasing information to the appropriate personnel. Laboratory managers must have a broad knowledge of the scientific industry, as well as excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills.

What does a lead quality control do?

Lead quality control agents are manufacturing professionals who are responsible for supervising and coordinating the activities of workers to meet the required quality standards of finished products. These professionals are required to review the calibration of manufacturing equipment to ensure they perform correctly and on time. They must assist in identifying and developing procedures and processes that are related to the quality management system. Leads quality control must also perform quality testing on materials while participating in team meetings to discuss safety and quality issues.

Laboratory manager vs lead quality control salary

Laboratory managers and lead quality controls have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Laboratory Manager	Lead Quality Control
Average salary	$74,314	$85,375
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $111,000	Between $66,000 And $109,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Brookhaven, NY
Highest paying state	Hawaii	New York
Best paying company	Meta	Bloomberg
Best paying industry	Pharmaceutical	Manufacturing

Differences between laboratory manager and lead quality control education

There are a few differences between a laboratory manager and a lead quality control in terms of educational background:

	Laboratory Manager	Lead Quality Control
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Laboratory manager vs lead quality control demographics

Here are the differences between laboratory managers' and lead quality controls' demographics:

	Laboratory Manager	Lead Quality Control
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 58.4% Female, 41.6%	Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 70.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between laboratory manager and lead quality control duties and responsibilities

Laboratory manager example responsibilities.

Lead laboratory investigations, OOS, deviations, change controls and CAPA.
Manage daily personnel challenges, assist with marketing and maintain appropriate standards and regulations per JCAHO, DNV.
Manage staff and oversee FDA guidelines and regulations for pharmaceutical research
Initiate and manage successful in-house design and implementation of network base LIMS database.
Manage curriculum development, authore and publish lab manuals in physiology and ecology.
Manage daily laboratory operations including personnel, client consulting, analyses and adherence to GLP protocols.

Lead quality control example responsibilities.

Manage production line, accountable for production quotas and safe food handling procedures are continually meet according to USDA guidelines.
Own, manage, and oversight to comprehensive quality management systems including leading policy deployment process within quality assurance function.
Oversee all quality operations to ensure FDA regulations are meet.
Analyze raw material, in-process and finish products using HPLC and IR.
Inspect plant and employees to ensure all are utilizing safe food handling by USDA standards
Involve in testing disintegration time, hardness of tablets and assist in HPLC tests on all finish products.

Laboratory manager vs lead quality control skills

Common laboratory manager skills

Lab Equipment, 12%
Patients, 9%
Customer Service, 7%
Chemistry, 6%
Clinical Laboratory, 5%
Lab Safety, 5%

Common lead quality control skills

GMP, 9%
Safety Procedures, 8%
Quality Checks, 7%
Production Lines, 7%
Corrective Action, 6%
Internal Audit, 5%

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Laboratory Manager
Laboratory Manager vs Lead Quality Control

Updated January 8, 2025

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