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The differences between process & automation engineers and quality control engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a process & automation engineer and a quality control engineer. Additionally, a process & automation engineer has an average salary of $87,723, which is higher than the $70,845 average annual salary of a quality control engineer.
The top three skills for a process & automation engineer include PLC, project management and C++. The most important skills for a quality control engineer are product quality, quality standards, and corrective action.
| Process & Automation Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,723 | $70,845 |
| Hourly rate | $42.17 | $34.06 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 66,311 | 109,745 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Process & automation engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for optimizing the industrial process of manufacturing companies while maintaining automated machinery used in the process. These engineers are required to manage process improvement projects that focus on cost reduction and increasing the profits of the company. They must use PLC/SCADA technologies to develop industrial automation and process control systems. Process & automation engineers must also conduct troubleshooting and maintenance activities to optimize the performance of all automated manufacturing machinery.
A quality control engineer is responsible for conducting quality assessments for the company's products and services to ensure adherence to federal regulations and quality standards. Quality control engineers recommend strategic methods by analyzing processes and writing test results. They also identify opportunities for more services that meet public demands and market trends, helping the business generate more resources for revenues. A quality control engineer utilizes various software tools and applications to document findings, requiring them to have excellent communication and technical skills.
Process & automation engineers and quality control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process & Automation Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average salary | $87,723 | $70,845 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $110,000 | Between $53,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Cepheid | Intuitive Surgical |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a process & automation engineer and a quality control engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process & Automation Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between process & automation engineers' and quality control engineers' demographics:
| Process & Automation Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.3% Female, 12.7% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 13.3% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |