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The differences between quality assurance managers and quality assurance specialists 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 manager, becoming a quality assurance specialist takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a quality assurance manager has an average salary of $99,894, which is higher than the $63,443 average annual salary of a quality assurance specialist.
The top three skills for a quality assurance manager include continuous improvement, product quality and corrective action. The most important skills for a quality assurance specialist are GMP, patients, and FDA.
| Quality Assurance Manager | Quality Assurance Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $99,894 | $63,443 |
| Hourly rate | $48.03 | $30.50 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 62,293 | 83,505 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A Quality Assurance Manager's responsibility varies on the organization or industry where one is assigned. Most of the time, the duties will revolve around quality control, such as overseeing a company's manufacturing operations, ensuring that the process followed all of the necessary protocols, and the products met all of the standards in adherence to the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, one must be able to detect and identify mistakes, conduct constant inspections, coordinate with various staff and supervisors, develop the workforce's quality by training employees, and come up with strategies that will help the company attain financial gains.
A quality assurance specialist is an individual who is responsible for monitoring, inspecting, and proposing measures to correct and improve a company's product. Quality assurance specialists need to outline quality assurance policies and procedures, making sure that quality standards are assured. It is important that a quality assurance specialist should have strong attention to detail and is excellent in data collection. This work may require a minimum of bachelor's degree and certification to get certified.
Quality assurance managers and quality assurance specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Assurance Manager | Quality Assurance Specialist | |
| Average salary | $99,894 | $63,443 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $140,000 | Between $41,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a quality assurance manager and a quality assurance specialist in terms of educational background:
| Quality Assurance Manager | Quality Assurance Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality assurance managers' and quality assurance specialists' demographics:
| Quality Assurance Manager | Quality Assurance Specialist | |
| Average age | 48 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9% | Male, 42.8% Female, 57.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 9.2% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 11% |