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The differences between project quality managers and quality assurance managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a project quality manager and a quality assurance manager. Additionally, a project quality manager has an average salary of $116,803, which is higher than the $99,894 average annual salary of a quality assurance manager.
The top three skills for a project quality manager include project management, continuous improvement and project quality. The most important skills for a quality assurance manager are continuous improvement, product quality, and corrective action.
| Project Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $116,803 | $99,894 |
| Hourly rate | $56.16 | $48.03 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 164,861 | 62,293 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The role of a project quality manager is to spearhead and oversee the quality control and assurance procedures for various projects. They typically coordinate with project managers to identify the projects' needs and goals, ensuring timeliness and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities also include managing quality control and assurance teams, setting goals and objectives, establishing guidelines, and developing strategies to optimize operations. Furthermore, as a manager, it is their duty to lead and encourage teams to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A Quality Assurance Manager's responsibility varies on the organization or industry where one is assigned. Most of the time, the duties will revolve around quality control, such as overseeing a company's manufacturing operations, ensuring that the process followed all of the necessary protocols, and the products met all of the standards in adherence to the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, one must be able to detect and identify mistakes, conduct constant inspections, coordinate with various staff and supervisors, develop the workforce's quality by training employees, and come up with strategies that will help the company attain financial gains.
Project quality managers and quality assurance managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Average salary | $116,803 | $99,894 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $159,000 | Between $70,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Tesla | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Finance |
There are a few differences between a project quality manager and a quality assurance manager in terms of educational background:
| Project Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between project quality managers' and quality assurance managers' demographics:
| Project Quality Manager | Quality Assurance Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.9% Female, 30.1% | Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9% |
| 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, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |