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The differences between product quality 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 product quality engineer and a quality control engineer. Additionally, a product quality engineer has an average salary of $94,173, which is higher than the $70,845 average annual salary of a quality control engineer.
The top three skills for a product quality engineer include product quality, continuous improvement and sigma. The most important skills for a quality control engineer are product quality, quality standards, and corrective action.
| Product Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,173 | $70,845 |
| Hourly rate | $45.28 | $34.06 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 152,621 | 109,745 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A product quality engineer is responsible for conducting quality check procedures for outputs and manufacturing processes to ensure high-quality deliverables according to business requirements and client specifications. Product quality engineers implement quality assessment criteria with strict adherence to internal guidelines and regulatory policies. They inspect the tools and equipment used for the production and solve inconsistencies, recommending and writing process reports to prevent fault reoccurrence that may affect product standards and market quality and cause distribution delays.
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.
Product quality engineers and quality control engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,173 | $70,845 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $124,000 | Between $53,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Wyoming |
| Best paying company | Meta | Intuitive Surgical |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product quality engineer and a quality control engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between product quality engineers' and quality control engineers' demographics:
| Product Quality Engineer | Quality Control Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.1% White, 66.2% 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% |