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The differences between lead quality engineers and quality supervisors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a lead quality engineer, becoming a quality supervisor takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a lead quality engineer has an average salary of $104,296, which is higher than the $60,486 average annual salary of a quality supervisor.
The top three skills for a lead quality engineer include java, corrective action and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a quality supervisor are continuous improvement, ISO, and corrective action.
| Lead Quality Engineer | Quality Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $104,296 | $60,486 |
| Hourly rate | $50.14 | $29.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 81,952 | 61,400 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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 supervisor is an individual who manages and implements the quality assurance and control systems of a company to ensure the proper execution of products and customer satisfaction. Quality supervisors oversee a team of quality control analysts and train them on the latest product standards. They must make sure that customers are pleased with the finished product by communicating with them and setting realistic expectations. Quality supervisors must also provide reports on quality metrics to the other members of the management team.
Lead quality engineers and quality supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Quality Engineer | Quality Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $104,296 | $60,486 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $135,000 | Between $43,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Intuitive Surgical | |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lead quality engineer and a quality supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Lead Quality Engineer | Quality Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between lead quality engineers' and quality supervisors' demographics:
| Lead Quality Engineer | Quality Supervisor | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 76.6% Female, 23.4% | Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4% |
| 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, 3.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 8% |