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The differences between quality assurance scientists and quality associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a quality assurance scientist has an average salary of $68,108, which is higher than the $50,300 average annual salary of a quality associate.
The top three skills for a quality assurance scientist include GMP, FDA and ISO. The most important skills for a quality associate are patients, QA, and quality system.
| Quality Assurance Scientist | Quality Associate | |
| Yearly salary | $68,108 | $50,300 |
| Hourly rate | $32.74 | $24.18 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 106,373 | 60,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
In a manufacturing setting, a quality assurance scientist specializes in utilizing scientific procedures in ensuring that products adhere to a company's quality standards and policies. Their responsibilities include developing quality control procedures, conducting experiments and analysis, identifying areas needing improvement, implementing solutions in problem areas, and maintaining detailed records of results. Furthermore, as a quality assurance scientist, it is essential to keep an active communication line with the quality assurance team, coordinating every step of the way for an efficient and safe workflow.
A quality associate is responsible for ensuring that a new product meets standards for usage and operating. You will perform various tasks that include assisting in identifying quality problems and improving operational processes, writing, disseminating, and maintaining quality documentation and manuals, and verifying logs and databases to monitor and flag quality issues and improvements. In addition, you are responsible for supporting document control and quality audits, reviewing reports and validation protocols, and investigating and diagnosing quality complaints.
Quality assurance scientists and quality associates have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Assurance Scientist | Quality Associate | |
| Average salary | $68,108 | $50,300 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $93,000 | Between $31,000 And $80,000 |
| Highest paying City | Central Islip, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Lantheus | JPMorgan Chase & Co. |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a quality assurance scientist and a quality associate in terms of educational background:
| Quality Assurance Scientist | Quality Associate | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality assurance scientists' and quality associates' demographics:
| Quality Assurance Scientist | Quality Associate | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.8% Female, 52.2% | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 15.2% White, 52.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 11.6% White, 55.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |