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The differences between process improvement engineers and quality 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 improvement engineer and a quality engineer. Additionally, a process improvement engineer has an average salary of $82,473, which is higher than the $79,672 average annual salary of a quality engineer.
The top three skills for a process improvement engineer include lean six sigma, sigma and project management. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Process Improvement Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,473 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $39.65 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 55,438 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A process improvement engineer specializes in conducting research and analysis to develop new strategies and ideas to improve the processes in a manufacturing plant or a similar setting. They prioritize efficiency and profitability. Most of the time, engineers participate in a series of meetings where they coordinate with fellow engineers to determine opportunities for product growth and development. Moreover, a process improvement engineer is also responsible for crafting new policies and regulations, upgrading systems, and developing new practices to ensure product quality and customer satisfaction.
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.
Process improvement engineers and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Improvement Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,473 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $109,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a process improvement engineer and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process Improvement Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | New York University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between process improvement engineers' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Process Improvement Engineer | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.2% Female, 36.8% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 10.5% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 4% |