Quality assurance scientist vs quality assurance supervisor

The differences between quality assurance scientists and quality assurance supervisors 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 $66,145 average annual salary of a quality assurance supervisor.

The top three skills for a quality assurance scientist include GMP, FDA and ISO. The most important skills for a quality assurance supervisor are food safety, product quality, and corrective action.

Quality assurance scientist vs quality assurance supervisor overview

	Quality Assurance Scientist	Quality Assurance Supervisor
Yearly salary	$68,108	$66,145
Hourly rate	$32.74	$31.80
Growth rate	6%	3%
Number of jobs	106,373	82,301
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	38	46
Years of experience	-	2

What does a quality assurance scientist do?

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.

What does a quality assurance supervisor do?

A quality assurance supervisor oversees and leads the quality control operations within a manufacturing plant or similar establishment. They are primarily responsible for crafting and implementing policies that prioritize the efficiency of products or services, supervising and evaluating the performances of the workforce, and setting standards and procedures that align not just with the goals of the company, but the national and international level of production standards. Furthermore, as a supervisor in the field, it is crucial to encourage and shape quality assurance workers into valuable members of the company.

Quality assurance scientist vs quality assurance supervisor salary

Quality assurance scientists and quality assurance supervisors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Quality Assurance Scientist	Quality Assurance Supervisor
Average salary	$68,108	$66,145
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $93,000	Between $46,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	Central Islip, NY	South San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New York	Wyoming
Best paying company	Lantheus	Bristol-Myers Squibb
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Health Care

Differences between quality assurance scientist and quality assurance supervisor education

There are a few differences between a quality assurance scientist and a quality assurance supervisor in terms of educational background:

	Quality Assurance Scientist	Quality Assurance Supervisor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Biology	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Quality assurance scientist vs quality assurance supervisor demographics

Here are the differences between quality assurance scientists' and quality assurance supervisors' demographics:

	Quality Assurance Scientist	Quality Assurance Supervisor
Average age	38	46
Gender ratio	Male, 47.8% Female, 52.2%	Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5%
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, 12.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 19.7% Asian, 4.6% White, 58.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	8%	6%

Differences between quality assurance scientist and quality assurance supervisor duties and responsibilities

Quality assurance scientist example responsibilities.

Manage a LIMS system for electronic entering, maintaining and retrieval of sample data and quality management.
Manage investigation reports for equipment maintenance and calibration OOS.
Evaluate all microbiology standard operating procedures for compliance to applicable regulations; GMP, USP, EP, and JP.
Record results using the LIMS system and release final batches.
Investigate when non-conformance results (OOS, OOT) are observed and document findings.
Operate sophisticated computer-control instrument like HPLC, GC-MS.

Quality assurance supervisor example responsibilities.

Assist in achieving ISO certification/training.
Manage GMP regulate quality assurance department to ensure all raw materials and finish products meet quality standards.
Lead product development team to successfully develop components at improve PPAP approval time by implementing better project planning
Conduct and report internal quality system and vendor/supplier audits in accordance with ISO and company quality assurance requirements.
Use of refractometer, micrometer, lab scales, and calipers.
Monitor pre-clinical GLP studies at CRO and intra-departmental sites to ensure protocol/regulatory compliance (Covance).

Quality assurance scientist vs quality assurance supervisor skills

Common quality assurance scientist skills

GMP, 8%
FDA, 6%
ISO, 5%
Data Analysis, 5%
Microbiology, 5%
CAPA, 4%

Common quality assurance supervisor skills

Food Safety, 8%
Product Quality, 7%
Corrective Action, 6%
GMP, 5%
Customer Service, 5%
Continuous Improvement, 4%

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Quality Assurance Scientist
Quality Assurance Scientist vs Quality Assurance Supervisor

Updated January 8, 2025

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