Production inspector vs quality assurance inspector

The differences between production inspectors and quality assurance inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a quality assurance inspector has an average salary of $36,842, which is higher than the $33,340 average annual salary of a production inspector.

The top three skills for a production inspector include production equipment, safety procedures and customer satisfaction. The most important skills for a quality assurance inspector are calipers, micrometers, and corrective action.

Production inspector vs quality assurance inspector overview

	Production Inspector	Quality Assurance Inspector
Yearly salary	$33,340	$36,842
Hourly rate	$16.03	$17.71
Growth rate	-3%	-3%
Number of jobs	68,181	74,410
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

Production inspector vs quality assurance inspector salary

Production inspectors and quality assurance inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Production Inspector	Quality Assurance Inspector
Average salary	$33,340	$36,842
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $42,000	Between $27,000 And $49,000
Highest paying City	Omaha, NE	Renton, WA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Washington
Best paying company	Rich Products	Los Alamos National Laboratory
Best paying industry	Automotive	Government

Differences between production inspector and quality assurance inspector education

There are a few differences between a production inspector and a quality assurance inspector in terms of educational background:

	Production Inspector	Quality Assurance Inspector
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Bachelor's Degree, 34%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Production inspector vs quality assurance inspector demographics

Here are the differences between production inspectors' and quality assurance inspectors' demographics:

	Production Inspector	Quality Assurance Inspector
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 48.5% Female, 51.5%	Male, 71.7% Female, 28.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 8.3% White, 57.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.2% Asian, 9.1% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between production inspector and quality assurance inspector duties and responsibilities

Production inspector example responsibilities.

Read blueprints, used calipers and rulers for measuring.
Follow strict FDA regulations with regard to GPM standards and safety.
Perform periodic reviews of the batch record throughout the production operation to ensure GMP compliance.
Copper tube units and inspect units.accomplishmentshelp troubleshoot units.Skills Usedbrazzing and troubleshooting
Perform visual external corrosion and internal erosion inspection utilizing NDT techniques on process piping and equipment during refinery turnarounds.
Promote and maintain a positive working relationship within MRB and other support organizations.

Quality assurance inspector example responsibilities.

Coordinate joint surveys with SATORP inspectors and manage clearance of all issue active LBE and NCR.
Work with IPC and ISO regulations.
Examine parts for damage or excessive wear using micrometers and gauges and other specialize test equipment.
Measure dimensions of products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as rulers, calipers or micrometers.
Inspect and measure surgical steel medical devices for critical dimensions, checking tolerance using micrometers and calipers reading from blueprint designs.
Qualify coating systems and painters to ASTM standards.

Production inspector vs quality assurance inspector skills

Common production inspector skills

Production Equipment, 10%
Safety Procedures, 8%
Customer Satisfaction, 8%
Calipers, 8%
Quality Standards, 7%
Circuit Boards, 6%

Common quality assurance inspector skills

Calipers, 7%
Micrometers, 6%
Corrective Action, 5%
Safety Standards, 5%
Inspection Reports, 4%
Quality Standards, 4%

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Production Inspector
Production Inspector vs Quality Assurance Inspector

Updated January 8, 2025

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