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The differences between lead quality engineers and quality control engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lead quality engineer and a quality control engineer. Additionally, a lead quality engineer has an average salary of $104,296, which is higher than the $70,845 average annual salary of a quality control engineer.
The top three skills for a lead quality engineer include java, corrective action and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a quality control engineer are product quality, quality standards, and corrective action.
| Lead Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,296 | $70,845 |
| Hourly rate | $50.14 | $34.06 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 81,952 | 109,745 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Lead quality engineers are engineering professionals who manage a team of quality assurance professionals that ensure the overall quality of manufactured products. These engineers must create comprehensive test plans and test cases to ensure that the finished products have met the client requirements. They have to develop and implement quality standards and procedures while developing internal corrective actions after performing the internal processes audits. Lead quality engineers must also provide new product quality training to members of the quality control and production team.
A quality control engineer is responsible for conducting quality assessments for the company's products and services to ensure adherence to federal regulations and quality standards. Quality control engineers recommend strategic methods by analyzing processes and writing test results. They also identify opportunities for more services that meet public demands and market trends, helping the business generate more resources for revenues. A quality control engineer utilizes various software tools and applications to document findings, requiring them to have excellent communication and technical skills.
Lead quality engineers and quality control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,296 | $70,845 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $135,000 | Between $53,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Intuitive Surgical | |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead quality engineer and a quality control engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between lead quality engineers' and quality control engineers' demographics:
| Lead Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 15.2% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |