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The differences between product development scientists and quality control analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a product development scientist has an average salary of $84,817, which is higher than the $59,217 average annual salary of a quality control analyst.
The top three skills for a product development scientist include chemistry, project management and data analysis. The most important skills for a quality control analyst are QC, lab equipment, and microbiology.
| Product Development Scientist | Quality Control Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $84,817 | $59,217 |
| Hourly rate | $40.78 | $28.47 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 147,027 | 85,546 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
A product development scientist is responsible for conducting in-depth scientific research and method analysis to develop medical technologies, medications, and foods, depending on the industry. Product development scientists may also perform enhancements on existing products by studying its components and improve its features. They evaluate the manufacturing processes of a product, providing recommendations on additional resources to generate revenues and profits. A product development scientist often works in a laboratory, requiring them to follow strict safety protocols and ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the area to prevent contamination and result inconsistencies.
Quality assurance representatives are professionals who are responsible for ensuring the quality of units produced or manufactured is following the standards set by the industry. These representatives supervise the entire production process to identify erroneous methods or tools being used by workers and observing produced for visible defects. They are required to perform various tests to check for the durability of the product and other desirable characteristics. Quality assurance representatives must also collaborate with the manufacturing engineer to implement quality control programs and preparing training manuals and quality guidelines.
Product development scientists and quality control analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Development Scientist | Quality Control Analyst | |
| Average salary | $84,817 | $59,217 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $40,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Raleigh, NC |
| Highest paying state | California | North Carolina |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Barclays |
| Best paying industry | Education | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a product development scientist and a quality control analyst in terms of educational background:
| Product Development Scientist | Quality Control Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Chemistry | Biology |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between product development scientists' and quality control analysts' demographics:
| Product Development Scientist | Quality Control Analyst | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.3% Female, 40.7% | Male, 45.7% Female, 54.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 12.8% White, 53.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |