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The differences between quality assurance engineering 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 quality assurance engineering manager, becoming a quality engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a quality assurance engineering manager has an average salary of $124,894, which is higher than the $79,672 average annual salary of a quality engineer.
The top three skills for a quality assurance engineering manager include corrective action, continuous improvement and java. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.
| Quality Assurance Engineering Manager | Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $124,894 | $79,672 |
| Hourly rate | $60.05 | $38.30 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 114,803 | 96,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Quality Assurance Engineering Managers require up to five years in any related field and one to three years of supervisory experience, and a healthy and developed set of skills including math, leadership, and crucial thinking. Those who choose this career option can expect an annual salary between $80K and $141K. Their responsibilities involve the development and safeguarding of quality standards for production companies and staff management, production process oversight, data analysis, and strategy planning to ensure higher product quality.
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.
Quality assurance engineering managers and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Assurance Engineering Manager | Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $124,894 | $79,672 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $172,000 | Between $61,000 And $103,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a quality assurance engineering manager and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Quality Assurance Engineering 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 quality assurance engineering managers' and quality engineers' demographics:
| Quality Assurance Engineering Manager | Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.1% Female, 14.9% | Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.0% White, 69.9% 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% |