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The differences between manufacturing quality managers and directors of quality can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a manufacturing quality manager and a director of quality. Additionally, a director of quality has an average salary of $134,435, which is higher than the $121,115 average annual salary of a manufacturing quality manager.
The top three skills for a manufacturing quality manager include continuous improvement, lean manufacturing and ISO. The most important skills for a director of quality are healthcare, quality improvement, and patients.
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Director Of Quality | |
| Yearly salary | $121,115 | $134,435 |
| Hourly rate | $58.23 | $64.63 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 88,190 | 65,443 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A manufacturing quality manager ensures the manufacturing processes and products meet minimum standards of quality. In this position, they are required to ensure a certain level of quality is met, understand customer needs and requirements, develop quality control processes that meet the requirements provided, review specifications for products and processes, inspect final products to ensure they comply with legal standards, and set requirements for raw materials from suppliers.
In the manufacturing industry, a director of quality is primarily in charge of spearheading and overseeing the daily operations in a quality assurance department. They work to ensure that products adhere to the company's quality standards and industry regulations by conducting research and assessments, developing quality test systems, and reviewing reports. As a director of quality, they have the authority to make significant decisions, establish protocols and guidelines, set objectives and timelines, and implement rules and policies, creating new ones as necessary.
Manufacturing quality managers and directors of quality have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Director Of Quality | |
| Average salary | $121,115 | $134,435 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $178,000 | Between $98,000 And $183,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Portland, OR |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Finance |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing quality manager and a director of quality in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Director Of Quality | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between manufacturing quality managers' and directors of quality' demographics:
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Director Of Quality | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% | Male, 65.2% Female, 34.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 69.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |