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The differences between quality assurance associates and quality leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a quality assurance associate, becoming a quality lead takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a quality lead has an average salary of $90,301, which is higher than the $61,473 average annual salary of a quality assurance associate.
The top three skills for a quality assurance associate include excellent interpersonal, customer service and GMP. The most important skills for a quality lead are continuous improvement, product quality, and quality standards.
| Quality Assurance Associate | Quality Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $61,473 | $90,301 |
| Hourly rate | $29.55 | $43.41 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 62,324 | 62,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 44 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A quality assurance associate's role is to oversee the production operations in a manufacturing plant or a similar setting, ensuring quality standards throughout the entire process. Most of the time, a quality assurance associate must perform workforce assessments, provide training to new employees, produce or approve documentation and progress reports, and collaborate with colleagues to ensure that everything is running smoothly and complies with the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, there are instances when one must address issues and concerns, providing them with the necessary corrective measures.
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 assurance associates and quality leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Assurance Associate | Quality Lead | |
| Average salary | $61,473 | $90,301 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $84,000 | Between $63,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Citi | |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a quality assurance associate and a quality lead in terms of educational background:
| Quality Assurance Associate | Quality Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality assurance associates' and quality leads' demographics:
| Quality Assurance Associate | Quality Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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 | 11% | 8% |