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The differences between quality assurance scientists and quality assurance engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $82,215, which is higher than the $68,108 average annual salary of a quality assurance scientist.
The top three skills for a quality assurance scientist include GMP, FDA and ISO. The most important skills for a quality assurance engineer are java, python, and regression.
| Quality Assurance Scientist | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $68,108 | $82,215 |
| Hourly rate | $32.74 | $39.53 |
| Growth rate | 6% | - |
| Number of jobs | 106,373 | 243,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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 Assurance Engineer's role is to oversee the overall production and ensure that the product is cost-efficient and aligns with the company's standards. The responsibility mainly revolves around conducting activities that examine and scrutinize the condition of a product or service to identify issues and come up with possible solutions to resolve the issue or attain stronger customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the Quality Assurance Engineer must also ensure that the product adheres to the government regulations and market guidelines.
Quality assurance scientists and quality assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Assurance Scientist | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $68,108 | $82,215 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $93,000 | Between $61,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Central Islip, NY | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | California |
| Best paying company | Lantheus | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a quality assurance scientist and a quality assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Quality Assurance Scientist | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Biology | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between quality assurance scientists' and quality assurance engineers' demographics:
| Quality Assurance Scientist | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 38 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.8% Female, 52.2% | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% |
| 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, 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% |