Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between manufacturing quality managers and quality leads 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 quality lead. Additionally, a manufacturing quality manager has an average salary of $121,115, which is higher than the $90,301 average annual salary of a quality lead.
The top three skills for a manufacturing quality manager include continuous improvement, lean manufacturing and ISO. The most important skills for a quality lead are continuous improvement, product quality, and quality standards.
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Quality Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $121,115 | $90,301 |
| Hourly rate | $58.23 | $43.41 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 88,190 | 62,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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.
A quality assurance (QA) lead is responsible for organizing and managing the testing of products prior to its release. Your duties will include defining testing standards and strategies, establishing formal QA processes, and overseeing all aspects of QA, such as using best practices and establishing metrics. Additionally, you are responsible for supervising and mentoring QA team members, and developing and implementing scripts, test cases, and procedures. You are also responsible for managing off quality products and developing and institutionalizing ISO complaints.
Manufacturing quality managers and quality leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Quality Lead | |
| Average salary | $121,115 | $90,301 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $178,000 | Between $63,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing quality manager and a quality lead in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Quality Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing quality managers' and quality leads' demographics:
| Manufacturing Quality Manager | Quality Lead | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% |
| 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, 13.1% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |