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The differences between quality associates and quality leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a quality lead has an average salary of $90,301, which is higher than the $50,300 average annual salary of a quality associate.
The top three skills for a quality associate include patients, QA and quality system. The most important skills for a quality lead are continuous improvement, product quality, and quality standards.
| Quality Associate | Quality Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $50,300 | $90,301 |
| Hourly rate | $24.18 | $43.41 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 60,168 | 62,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 38 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A quality associate is responsible for ensuring that a new product meets standards for usage and operating. You will perform various tasks that include assisting in identifying quality problems and improving operational processes, writing, disseminating, and maintaining quality documentation and manuals, and verifying logs and databases to monitor and flag quality issues and improvements. In addition, you are responsible for supporting document control and quality audits, reviewing reports and validation protocols, and investigating and diagnosing quality complaints.
A quality assurance (QA) lead is responsible for organizing and managing the testing of products prior to its release. Your duties will include defining testing standards and strategies, establishing formal QA processes, and overseeing all aspects of QA, such as using best practices and establishing metrics. Additionally, you are responsible for supervising and mentoring QA team members, and developing and implementing scripts, test cases, and procedures. You are also responsible for managing off quality products and developing and institutionalizing ISO complaints.
Quality associates and quality leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Associate | Quality Lead | |
| Average salary | $50,300 | $90,301 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $80,000 | Between $63,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a quality associate and a quality lead in terms of educational background:
| Quality Associate | Quality Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Biology | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality associates' and quality leads' demographics:
| Quality Associate | Quality Lead | |
| Average age | 38 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |