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Job outlook for product quality engineers in the United States
Product quality engineer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected product quality engineer job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 30,600 new jobs for product quality engineers are projected over the next decade.
Product quality engineer salaries have increased 6% for product quality engineers in the last 5 years.
There are over 76,589 product quality engineers currently employed in the United States.
There are 152,621 active product quality engineer job openings in the US.
The average product quality engineer salary is $94,173.
Are product quality engineer jobs in demand?
Product quality engineer job and salary trends over time
Product quality engineer jobs over time
Product quality engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 76,589 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 75,590 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 76,026 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 72,881 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 69,233 | 0.02% |
Average product quality engineer salary over time
Product quality engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $94,173 | $45.28 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | $93,188 | $44.80 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $92,151 | $44.30 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | $90,923 | $43.71 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | $89,260 | $42.91 | +1.0% |
Product quality engineer jobs by state
Most common states for product quality engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 305 | 44% |
| 2 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,854 | 33% |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 425 | 32% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 1,905 | 31% |
| 5 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 555 | 29% |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,561 | 27% |
| 7 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 203 | 27% |
| 8 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 1,819 | 26% |
| 9 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,726 | 26% |
| 10 | Delaware | 961,939 | 250 | 26% |
| 11 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 2,615 | 25% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,686 | 25% |
| 13 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,419 | 25% |
| 14 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 782 | 25% |
| 15 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 733 | 24% |
| 16 | California | 39,536,653 | 8,990 | 23% |
| 17 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 2,693 | 23% |
| 18 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 657 | 23% |
| 19 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 914 | 22% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 130 | 22% |
Most common cities for product quality engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark | 3 | 9% | $89,221 |
| 2 | Midland | 3 | 7% | $86,372 |
| 3 | Wilmington | 3 | 4% | $89,366 |
| 4 | Englewood | 1 | 3% | $92,282 |
| 5 | Carlsbad | 2 | 2% | $116,123 |
| 6 | Burlington | 1 | 2% | $83,519 |
| 7 | Charlottesville | 1 | 2% | $95,927 |
| 8 | Eden Prairie | 1 | 2% | $88,375 |
| 9 | Rochester | 2 | 1% | $80,512 |
| 10 | Sunnyvale | 2 | 1% | $139,222 |
| 11 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $93,646 |
| 12 | San Jose | 2 | 0% | $138,813 |
| 13 | Aurora | 1 | 0% | $92,134 |
| 14 | Chicago | 1 | 0% | $83,760 |
| 15 | Columbus | 1 | 0% | $75,944 |
| 16 | Dallas | 1 | 0% | $95,598 |
| 17 | Irvine | 1 | 0% | $117,432 |
| 18 | Jacksonville | 1 | 0% | $82,058 |
Product Quality Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of product quality engineer experts
University of Alabama at Huntsville
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Oklahoma State University
Fairfield University
Xavier University
North Dakota State University
Grand Valley State University
University of Pittsburgh
George Mason University
Wichita State University
The Ohio State University
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Liberty University
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Northern Michigan University
Elon University
Merrimack College
Marietta College
University of Maryland
University of Baltimore
What Product Quality Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ana Wooley Ph.D.: For a graduate beginning their career in Industrial Systems Engineering, my advice is to be genuinely proactive and to take initiative. This field, like any other, comes with a steep learning curve as you familiarize yourself with the company's operations, culture, and processes. Actively seek out and engage with experienced colleagues who can mentor and guide you. Don’t hesitate to volunteer for challenging tasks, as these opportunities will significantly improve your learning and skill development. Another piece of advice I would give is not to be discouraged if you find yourself not enjoying your first job. It's important to remember that you never truly know until you experience it firsthand. This initial job can be a great learning opportunity, helping you identify what aspects of the field you don't enjoy and guiding you towards roles that are a better fit for your interests and skills. Every experience, even those that are not ideal, contributes to your overall career growth and helps you identify your career path.
What Product Quality Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Todd Allen: - analyzing systems, including technical and social implications, of engineering solutions
What will help Product Quality Engineers increase their earning potential?
Todd Allen: -work hard to develop professional networks
- get the details right
- the way you present is as important as your technical knowledge
What Product Quality Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Guiping Hu Ph.D.: Industrial Engineering is a very inclusive, diverse, and dynamic discipline. IE is about choices, other engineering disciplines apply skills to very specific areas. IE gives you the opportunity to work on a variety of businesses. If you are interested in management and interacting with people and improving systems, IE is a great choice for you.
What will help Product Quality Engineers increase their earning potential?
Guiping Hu Ph.D.: Industrial Engineers design, build, and improve production systems. As IEs, we focus on both the quality of what is made and how it is made. Industrial Engineering is a very inclusive, diverse, and dynamic discipline. Whether it is shortening a roller-coaster line, streamlining an operating room, distributing products world wide or manufacturing superior automobiles, all share the common goal of reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
What general advice would you give to a Product Quality Engineer?
Dr. Harvey Hoffman: Graduates need to be flexible and open to taking on new projects, exploring new industries, perhaps non-traditional areas where they see growth, while building and maintaining their networking relationships. Go where the demand is for the role you seek. I hate to use a cliche, but remember that your engineering career is a journey that may take you in many directions. Be open to change.
A professional in any field must continue to learn. Your engineering degree gave you the necessary tools. You must engage in lifelong learning to increase your knowledge and improve your skills and competencies to set yourself apart.
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer
Professor and ChairXavier University
Department Of Physics
What skills stand out on Product Quality Engineer resumes?
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer: Programming languages, numerical design and simulation tools, knowledge of various measurement equipment.
What soft skills should all Product Quality Engineers possess?
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer: Communication, teamwork.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Product Quality Engineers?
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer: Depends on the engineering career, but in general, an ability to know how to use design software, measurement/testing, and analysis equipment, in addition to prototyping and fabrication tools
What skills will help Product Quality Engineers earn the most?
Dr. Heidrun Schmitzer: Problem-solving, troubleshooting, independent learner.
Dr. David Grewell Ph.D.
Department Chair and ProfessorNorth Dakota State University
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department
What skills will help Product Quality Engineers earn the most?
Dr. David Grewell Ph.D.: Good communication and leadership skills that are embedded in their curriculum enable IE's to quickly move up the corporate ladder and become the CEO of the nation's leading companies.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Product Quality Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Diane LaFreniere: The pandemic has created an enormous opportunity for students to understand the need for adaptability, positivity, and team work. For engineering students, this translates to a broader skillset with the depth and breadth of exposure to transition to interdisciplinary engineering roles that require a strong initiative and willingness to contribute in an individual and group capacity. For employees, this will require an increased awareness and desire to improve computer-related and communication skills to adapt to a flexible or remote work schedule, as well as assume greater responsibility in diverse capacities. For employers, this translates toward revised position descriptions and career paths and recruitment strategies to seek candidates who are equipped to navigate new directions and pivot into a variety of roles within the organization. At Grand Valley State University, we emphasize the need for a strong engineering core with greater specialization for students approaching graduation. The mandatory co-op program and senior capstone experience equips the students with the technical skillset necessary for interdisciplinary engineering teamwork, along with the essential skills necessary to conduct themselves professionally and become future engineering leaders.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Product Quality Engineers?
Karen Bursic Ph.D.: Right now, the Lean Six Sigma certifications as well as certifications or coursework in Supply Chain Management.
Dr. Lance Sherry Ph.D.
Director, Center for Air Transportation Systems Research Assoc. Professor, System Engineering and Operations Research Dept.George Mason University
What experience really stands out on Product Quality Engineer resumes?
Dr. Lance Sherry Ph.D.: Projects: capstone projects and summer intern projects. Not busy work but intellectual work that shows you can design, build, and test a system. This shows that the candidate really understands what it takes to do work in the real world, that the graduate can persevere, and that the graduate can overcome obstacles.
Dr. Atul Rai Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorWichita State University
School of Accountancy, Barton School of Business
What experience really stands out on Product Quality Engineer resumes?
Dr. Atul Rai Ph.D.: Employers are looking for people who can integrate in multi-disciplinary environments to solve complex problems. They are looking for resumes that show quick learning. Such resumes will permanently be in great demand. Because the world is interconnected much more than it ever was, employees today will deal with customers, supply-chains, and fellow employees who are spread all over the world. It means that an experience that showcases the global perspective will be in demand over the long-term.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Product Quality Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Theodore T. Allen Ph.D.: The biggest trend is that people are really using optimization. Yet, they are doing it at a large scale and with words often not associated with IEOR. We will see continued use of IE techniques but with more emphasis on those methods associated with Artificial Intelligence and meta-heuristics. The obsession of the research community with rigorous solution methods and aversion to meta-heuristics is foolish. Meta-heuristics work! Also, the skills for rigorous modeling can position developers well in meta-heuristic development for specific applications.
Other key trends include wider use of image analysis methods and that Industry Internet of Things (IIOT) approaches are entering widespread use. These topics are too important to be left to computer scientists alone. Our digital twin simulations and optimization models are critical. Further, there may be an important link between IIOT and augmented reality and human factors. People will start to see exactly how they and their devices are getting sick/worn and how to heal/repair them much more clearly.
Dr. Sohrab Asgarpoor
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs, Professor of Electrical and Computer EngineeringUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln
College of Engineering
How do you envision technology impacting Product Quality Engineers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Sohrab Asgarpoor: Adopting new technology should be an exciting (and expected) reality for those with an engineering degree. The virtual space will continue to grow as folks seek jobs and work online more. But what holds paramount, no matter what particular technological changes arise, is the ability to adapt-and to demonstrate that critical aptitude in their application documents and through their interviews, always highlighting those moments they've done so and articulating their propensity for learning.
What experience really stands out on Product Quality Engineer resumes?
Robert Rich: -Certification such as green belt, black-belt, machine learning, Lean Manufacturing, and APICS supply chain/inventory
-Specialized undergraduate research projects that go deep into various leading-edge topics like integrating AI with manufacturing and logistics
-Consulting experience/real projects within areas of undergraduate research
Dr. Galen Duree
Head of the Department of Physics and Optical Engineering and ProfessorRose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Department of Physics and Optical Engineering
What experience really stands out on Product Quality Engineer resumes?
Dr. Galen Duree: It depends on what you are applying for. If you are working on product development, then internships or co-ops provide a definite advantage. If you are working on developing new ways of doing things, research experiences in academia or companies are advantageous. Either case, this shows a certain maturity in your career path - you have participated in an activity related to the career you are currently pursuing.
What Product Quality Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Galen Duree: It again depends on what the graduate sees as their next step - graduate school or a job with a company or lab. If the next step is graduate school, the graduate should investigate what they are interested in pursuing and then where the best school is to get the experience that the graduate thinks he or she wants.
General reading about technologies or reading available articles about subjects the graduate is interested in will help generate questions they can ask potential graduate schools. This time would also be a chance to improve areas where the graduate may feel weak while an undergraduate. Many online resources can help them brush up on week background topics. Do not worry about transfer credits because that is usually not helpful in graduate school, but improve knowledge and experience in areas where the graduate feels weak. If the graduate has identified a graduate school and program to study in, the graduate school might have some recommendations about what to review. All of this will help improve success in graduate school.
If the next step is a job with a company or lab, taking courses to improve communication will help. Many technically competent or even technically brilliant people struggle with effective communication. Techniques about writing reports, making oral presentations, or communicating technical information will help improve success. The gap year also provides time to investigate technologies that the graduate wants to be involved in and the companies or labs in those areas.
Once the graduate has identified areas of interest and companies or labs that the graduate might want to work for, they can be contacted to either answer questions or point the graduate in a direction for further investigation.
In either case, a gap year can provide a chance to refine the graduate's choice for the next steps and help them prepare other skills overlooked during the undergraduate years.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Product Quality Engineers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Galen Duree: People with knowledge, even introductory experience, in quantum effects, quantum computing, optics in general (communication, measurements, imaging, illumination, detection), material science and engineering, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, will be in high demand.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Product Quality Engineers?
Michael Rudisill: It depends on what you really mean by enduring, but for all practical purposes, once the pandemic has passed, the economy will return, and anyone in the engineering field who wants a job will have many opportunities. Obviously, the short-term effect can be brutal for new graduates as jobs are not as plentiful as "usual"-but in the long term, those that persevere will end up in great careers. In some ways, it will be harder on the senior engineers who haven't stayed employed, as they are missing out on years when their income should be the highest. New graduates are missing relatively low earning years, so the long-term effects should not be as bad looking at lifetime earnings.
How do you envision technology impacting Product Quality Engineers in the next 5 years?
Michael Rudisill: Technology will continue to advance-which will increase the need for trained engineers. Even areas such as sales that not many people would think would be looking for engineers when dealing with technologically advanced products need people who understand how the product works, perform, etc.-in other words-trained engineers.
What general advice would you give to a Product Quality Engineer?
Michael Rudisill: Patience will be a key - there will be many jobs available - we have been contacted by several employers looking for grads. Still, it certainly is not like we have seen historically. As the economy comes out of the COVID recession, engineering jobs will come back very quickly. By the spring graduation, I think we will be pretty close to back to a somewhat familiar employment picture.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Product Quality Engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill: From what we've seen, salaries haven't been reduced, even though demand is down. I would expect wages and salary progression to remain strong as the need for engineering will only continue to grow.
What type of skills will young Product Quality Engineers need?
John Ring: While our universities consistently educate engineering students with hard skills and strong engineering fundamentals, tomorrow's engineers need to be strong communicators, collaborators, and critical thinkers. Our professional environments are filled with data and information, and the constraint is typically how much time individuals can dedicate to solving a problem. At Elon University, we educate tomorrow's engineers to have the hard skills necessary to analyze the information and situations, apply critical thinking techniques to determine ways to solve the issue, and then concisely and efficiently communicate with colleagues as solutions are being set in motion.
How do you envision technology impacting Product Quality Engineers in the next 5 years?
John Ring: An engineering student learns "how to learn" during their time in college. Technology will evolve, and tomorrow's engineers must learn at the same pace so that new technology can be applied to solve a problem.
Rickey Caldwell Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Mechanical EngineeringMerrimack College
Departmet of Mechanical Engineering
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Product Quality Engineers?
Rickey Caldwell Ph.D.: In terms of job opportunities, no. It may take longer to secure that first job, and it may be an employer's job market for the next several years. This means starting salaries may not be as high as a year ago, and yearly raises may be near zero up to 3% (depending on career fields and markets). Additionally, some benefits, such as tuition reimbursement, may not be available at some companies.
However, I strongly suspect that things will get better (as a wild guess) in 3 - 5 years as the economy rebounds. For the immediate future, the full economic effects of the pandemic have not been fully realized. As companies restructure to deal with their impact on their bottom lines and workers are laid-off, more experienced employees are entering the job marking and seeking jobs. This is very similar to the financial system crash around 2008, so that could be referenced for a similar environment, especially its effect on the Midwest. Job seekers must be persistent.
For enduring changes, the pandemic has presented a great opportunity to change the nature of where we do work. This experiment has been tried before at places like Yahoo, for example. Pre-pandemic, some companies allowed workers to work from home several times per month under flexible scheduling. I believe the coronavirus pandemic will make these types of work options a larger part of the business workplace culture. Additionally, many companies are actively working to enhance their diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. With this renewed attention, there may be more opportunities for workers that are women, BIPOC, LBGQT+, and others to rewrite and form new workplace norms to have new working environments. I strongly encourage people to take their seats at this table and create the world you wish to work in.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Product Quality Engineers to find work opportunities?
Rickey Caldwell Ph.D.: The engineering centers of the US seem to have strong job markets. Boston, West Coast, Silicon Prairie, DC area are just a few. There are employment opportunities in every industry and every state. It just may take 6 - 18 months to land that first job. Students may have to cast a bigger and wider search net. For example, if you only want to work in city A, it may take longer to find a job. A better strategy is to search regionally. For example, New England, Mid Atlantic, or the Southwest. Additionally, there are sectors that are always looking for new talent, such as energy production, food companies such as Unilever, and the civilian government work at federally funded research and development laboratories (FFRDC) and University Affiliated Research Centers (UARC) such as The MITRE Corporation and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Product Quality Engineers?
Ben Ebenhack: I believe that the impact of the pandemic on the US economy is still unfolding and that we won't be able to see any kind of robust turnaround until vaccines are widely available and seen, in practice, to be effective. Until that time, I suspect that we'll continue to see a lot of volatility as investors speculate about recovery, reopening, etc., but the trends will probably vacillate.
Once the pandemic is clearly seen to be reasonably well-controlled, I think that there will be a good deal of pent-up demand for energy and its services. I expect to see a modest recovery in energy prices, but that may not translate to jobs for a few years. Ultimately, the world's need for energy will drive prices up, and there will probably be another boom. Everyone should remember that half of humanity (~3.5 billion people) lack access to modern energy, on which development depends. With global economic recovery, I would expect that to apply considerable upward pressure on energy (and related resource) demands for the next several decades. Alternative energy will continue to grow, but I don't think it can grow as fast as some optimists expect.
How do you envision technology impacting Product Quality Engineers in the next 5 years?
Ben Ebenhack: Technology radically transformed American oil and gas production a little over ten years ago, by opening up the shale plays. That will continue to evolve and remain important in the medium term, I think. We may see some of the technological developments opening new opportunities in geothermal power production.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Product Quality Engineers?
Craig Carignan: Yes, it will have an enduring impact on aerospace grads, especially those going into aeronautical engineering. The airline industry has been hit especially hard by the pandemic, and commercial aircraft manufacture has come to a screeching halt. That means not just the airplane manufacturers being affected but all of the hundreds of aircraft parts suppliers too. The other factor is that people are learning how to attend conferences and meetings virtually, through applications like Zoom and Teams, which also saves a lot of money on travel. So even when things do start returning to normal, I think that the demand for air travel will not return to the same levels as before.
Some long term impact may also be felt by the space industry. Even though there are quarantine precautions in place (before and after a flight), human space flight might be seen as riskier due to possible infection from viruses that may not show symptoms. So we might try to do more from the ground using robotics. Also, the density of workers in a lot of places in the aerospace industry is very high, and I would expect telecommuting to become more common.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Product Quality Engineers?
Dr. Giovanni Vincenti: COVID-19 put into perspective the importance of technology for everyone. Those people who would typically work in fully staffed offices and took IT systems for granted have now realized how the lack of dedicated personnel and resources is a significant issue as everyone is working from home. The same realization has also reached upper-management, often creating a nearly immediate need for innovation that would have otherwise remained just a plan for the future. Graduates in the IT field and technology, in general, will benefit from this realization, as projects move from the planning stage into implementation and eventually maintenance. This increment in reliance on IT-related resources will create a greater need for employment.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Product Quality Engineers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Giovanni Vincenti: Cities that are typically associated with technology will probably remain hubs of innovation, especially if they have local administrations that are favorable towards entrepreneurship. However, the recent need for companies to leverage the ability to work remotely has opened up the possibilities of workers who may not otherwise be willing to relocate. This trend is probably here to stay for a while, so the ability of graduates to work with virtual collaborators will bring tech jobs to parts of the country that are not typically known for innovation. Even though there probably will not be clusters that will identify new equivalents of Silicon Valley out of nowhere, the fact that the reach of potential employees has extended beyond their geographical immediacy will create major opportunities for any location.