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The differences between metallurgical engineers and quality engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a metallurgical engineer has an average salary of $82,916, which is higher than the $79,672 average annual salary of a quality engineer.
The top three skills for a metallurgical engineer include aluminum, failure analysis and corrective action. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Metallurgical Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,916 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $39.86 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 34,491 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A metallurgical engineer is responsible for evaluating the chemical and physical properties of alloys and metallic materials to be used for construction and other industrial purposes. Metallurgical engineers also design metals for automobile upgrades and designing alloys for electronics. They create cost-reduction initiative reports and improve extraction methodologies, supervising quality control procedures for high-quality deliverables. A metallurgical engineer inspects the quality of tools and equipment for the operations, strictly adhering to the safety standards and protocols of the organization to avoid potential hazards and delays in the workplace.
A quality engineer's responsibilities include ensuring that the manufacturing processes are efficient and accurate, documenting findings that would raise concerns, conducting quality tests while observing parameters, and implementing changes as necessary to meet the highest quality standards. Quality engineers need to have excellent problem-solving and observation skills to detect any irregularities and possible malfunctions. They also must be able to communicate effectively with the clients for feedbacks and corrective adjustments, address complaints, and immediately resolve any inconsistencies made.
Metallurgical engineers and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Metallurgical Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,916 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $107,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hayward, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Tesoro | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a metallurgical engineer and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Metallurgical Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Metallurgical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Washington | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between metallurgical engineers' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Metallurgical Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.0% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 19.2% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 4% |