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The differences between product quality managers and quality engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a product quality manager, becoming a quality engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a product quality manager has an average salary of $117,932, which is higher than the $79,672 average annual salary of a quality engineer.
The top three skills for a product quality manager include continuous improvement, data analysis and project management. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Product Quality Manager | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $117,932 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $56.70 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 145,282 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A Product Quality Manager's job is to inspect the quality of products to ensure that they are built with compliance and meet customer expectations. They are thorough and observant of every detail of the product. Product Quality Manager's are responsible for understanding the customer's needs to develop effective quality control processes. They also devise and review the specs of the processes or product, set requirements for intermediate products for monitor compliances. They also ensure adherence to health and safety guidelines.
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.
Product quality managers and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Product Quality Manager | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $117,932 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $169,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a product quality manager and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Product Quality Manager | Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between product quality managers' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Product Quality Manager | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.0% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 8% | 4% |