Quality assurance inspector vs quality control technician

The differences between quality assurance inspectors and quality control technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a quality control technician has an average salary of $40,337, which is higher than the $36,842 average annual salary of a quality assurance inspector.

The top three skills for a quality assurance inspector include calipers, micrometers and corrective action. The most important skills for a quality control technician are lab equipment, quality control tests, and test results.

Quality assurance inspector vs quality control technician overview

	Quality Assurance Inspector	Quality Control Technician
Yearly salary	$36,842	$40,337
Hourly rate	$17.71	$19.39
Growth rate	-3%	3%
Number of jobs	74,410	98,407
Job satisfaction	3	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	4

What does a quality assurance inspector do?

Quality Assurance Auditors are employees who ensure the adherence of other employees to company processes and guidelines. They are expected to be experts on quality assurance processes and procedures. They also have in-depth knowledge of the expected outcomes of such processes to ensure that the company only provides quality products and services. Quality assurance auditors are also familiar with regulatory laws and policies of governing bodies that oversee companies in their particular industry. They ensure that their companies are compliant and may conduct random quality checks every now and then.

What does a quality control technician do?

Usually assigned in a manufacturing plant, a quality control technician's role focuses on testing and assessing materials before, after, and during a production process to ensure its efficiency. They also have responsibilities in implementing the policies and regulations of the company, all to maintain a safe and productive working environment for every employee. Furthermore, a quality control technician must produce necessary reports and documentation, coordinate with managers and supervisors, maintain accurate documentation, and oversee a team to secure quality standard outcomes.

Quality assurance inspector vs quality control technician salary

Quality assurance inspectors and quality control technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Quality Assurance Inspector	Quality Control Technician
Average salary	$36,842	$40,337
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $49,000	Between $31,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Renton, WA	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	Washington	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Los Alamos National Laboratory	Boehringer Ingelheim
Best paying industry	Government	Health Care

Differences between quality assurance inspector and quality control technician education

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

	Quality Assurance Inspector	Quality Control Technician
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 34%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Business	Biology
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Quality assurance inspector vs quality control technician demographics

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

	Quality Assurance Inspector	Quality Control Technician
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 71.7% Female, 28.3%	Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	4%	6%

Differences between quality assurance inspector and quality control technician duties and responsibilities

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.

Quality control technician example responsibilities.

Direct and manage the release of FDA regulate and monitor bacterial cultures and vitamin additives for product development.
Aid in development and maintenance of SPC program achieving product performance stability and creating a platform for continuous improvement.
Work with personnel to ensure all food safety programs such as HACCP, SSOP, and GMP's, are follow.
Work on the structure of on-line supply info system base on HMI, PLC and SQL.
Calculate requirements, using basic math, geometry and trigonometry.
Use furnaces, band saws, blasters, torches, acids, and micrometers.

Quality assurance inspector vs quality control technician skills

Common quality assurance inspector skills

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

Common quality control technician skills

Lab Equipment, 7%
Quality Control Tests, 6%
Test Results, 6%
Asphalt, 5%
Quality Products, 4%
Quality Standards, 4%

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Quality Assurance Inspector
Quality Assurance Inspector vs Quality Control Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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