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The differences between plastics engineers and quality engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a plastics engineer has an average salary of $80,304, which is higher than the $79,672 average annual salary of a quality engineer.
The top three skills for a plastics engineer include sigma, project management and extrusion. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Plastics Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,304 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $38.61 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 47,267 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
Plastics engineers must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree, and they will receive training opportunities that involve workshops and seminars to keep job skills current. This career requires skills in Sigma, project management, CAD, product quality, and product design. Those who choose this career path engage in manufacturing, fabrication, and end use testing of existing materials and the development of new processes, materials, and equipment.
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.
Plastics engineers and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plastics Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,304 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $106,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Union City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | Washington |
| Best paying company | Pfizer | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a plastics engineer and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Plastics Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Plastics Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between plastics engineers' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Plastics Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.3% Female, 9.7% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 17.3% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 9% | 4% |