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The differences between principal quality engineers and quality assurance 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 principal quality engineer, becoming a quality assurance supervisor takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a principal quality engineer has an average salary of $103,677, which is higher than the $66,145 average annual salary of a quality assurance supervisor.
The top three skills for a principal quality engineer include sigma, corrective action and ISO. The most important skills for a quality assurance supervisor are food safety, product quality, and corrective action.
| Principal Quality Engineer | Quality Assurance Supervisor | |
| Yearly salary | $103,677 | $66,145 |
| Hourly rate | $49.84 | $31.80 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 120,965 | 82,301 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
Principal quality engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for providing quality engineering support and technical guidance to help the quality activities of a project. They are required to supervise the quality management system to monitor the progress of projects and ensure their timely deliveries. They must provide quality assurance (QA) solutions while evaluating the efficiency of their existing QA processes. Principal quality engineers must also identify technical risks and challenges by suggesting corrective actions and QA process improvements.
A quality assurance supervisor oversees and leads the quality control operations within a manufacturing plant or similar establishment. They are primarily responsible for crafting and implementing policies that prioritize the efficiency of products or services, supervising and evaluating the performances of the workforce, and setting standards and procedures that align not just with the goals of the company, but the national and international level of production standards. Furthermore, as a supervisor in the field, it is crucial to encourage and shape quality assurance workers into valuable members of the company.
Principal quality engineers and quality assurance supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Principal Quality Engineer | Quality Assurance Supervisor | |
| Average salary | $103,677 | $66,145 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $133,000 | Between $46,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | South San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Palo Alto Networks | Bristol-Myers Squibb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a principal quality engineer and a quality assurance supervisor in terms of educational background:
| Principal Quality Engineer | Quality Assurance Supervisor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | New York University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between principal quality engineers' and quality assurance supervisors' demographics:
| Principal Quality Engineer | Quality Assurance Supervisor | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.0% Female, 19.0% | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.4% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 4.6% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 6% |