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Job outlook for quality assurances in the United States
Quality assurance job and salary trends over time
Quality assurance jobs over time
Quality assurance job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 163,003 | 0.05% |
| 2020 | 151,913 | 0.05% |
| 2019 | 130,301 | 0.04% |
| 2018 | 71,486 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 59,378 | 0.02% |
Average quality assurance salary over time
Quality assurance salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,313 | $24.67 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $49,622 | $23.86 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $48,499 | $23.32 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | $47,553 | $22.86 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $46,479 | $22.35 | +1.5% |
Quality assurance jobs by state
Most common states for quality assurances
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 188 | 27% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 243 | 18% |
| 3 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 415 | 13% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 121 | 13% |
| 5 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 797 | 12% |
| 6 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 713 | 12% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 651 | 12% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 124 | 12% |
| 9 | Vermont | 623,657 | 77 | 12% |
| 10 | California | 39,536,653 | 4,353 | 11% |
| 11 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,087 | 11% |
| 12 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 967 | 11% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 738 | 11% |
| 14 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 615 | 11% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 378 | 11% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 83 | 11% |
| 17 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 730 | 10% |
| 18 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 576 | 10% |
| 19 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 312 | 10% |
| 20 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 183 | 10% |
Most common cities for quality assurances
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burlington | 2 | 8% | $58,767 |
| 2 | Cibolo | 2 | 7% | $57,273 |
| 3 | Gaithersburg | 2 | 3% | $63,819 |
| 4 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $64,375 |
| 5 | Alpharetta | 1 | 2% | $40,077 |
| 6 | Wichita | 3 | 1% | $39,516 |
| 7 | Columbus | 2 | 1% | $39,990 |
| 8 | Fort Wayne | 2 | 1% | $42,717 |
| 9 | Tampa | 2 | 1% | $43,505 |
| 10 | Charlotte | 4 | 0% | $48,581 |
| 11 | Indianapolis | 3 | 0% | $41,345 |
| 12 | Chicago | 2 | 0% | $55,694 |
| 13 | New York | 2 | 0% | $56,269 |
| 14 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $40,051 |
| 15 | Bakersfield | 1 | 0% | $70,194 |
| 16 | Baltimore | 1 | 0% | $64,376 |
| 17 | Baton Rouge | 1 | 0% | $49,466 |
Quality Assurance job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of quality assurance experts
ETSTech-Ops
What will help Quality Assurances increase their earning potential?
Dr. Jingbo Liu PhD: A chemist’s day-to-day tasks vary greatly depending on their specific role and field. However, everyday tasks include designing and conducting experiments, analyzing data, writing reports, and maintaining safety protocols in the laboratory. Someone entering the field might start as a laboratory assistant or technician, preparing samples, maintaining equipment, and assisting with experiments and research. They could also be involved in data analysis, using various software tools to interpret and visualize experimental results. Furthermore, they may participate in team meetings to discuss their findings and plan future research directions. It’s a dynamic and exciting field with plenty of opportunities for learning and growth.
What type of skills will young Quality Assurances need?
Nola Pearce: The skills that any young graduate needs, prior to entering the workforce, are the same across all engineering fields - the desire to be inquisitive, communicate, solve problems, take initiative, ask questions, listen, set goals, achieve goals, learn from mistakes and move forward.
Materials Science Engineering provides an education with a wide range of career possibilities - the merger of physics and chemistry to develop or improve upon the properties and applications of materials. This improvement of materials and applications can be supported with careers in Research, Product Development, Process Development, Equipment Development, Property Characterization, Process Engineering, Product Management, Project Management, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Business Development, Leadership.
Materials Science curriculums will provide the education foundation of Ceramic, Glass, Metals, Polymers, and Composite materials. If you enjoy chemistry (high temperature reaction processes), physics, math, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, and problem solving, Materials Science is an area that would be of interest to you.
The skill a young graduate needs to walk away with is the ability to apply their materials knowledge in a way that allows them to continually learn, listen, and solve problems.