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What is a quality assurance specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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Quality assurance specialists are responsible for ensuring that products and services meet the required quality standards. They work in various industries and perform tasks such as creating quality assurance procedures, conducting inspections and audits, identifying areas for improvement, and monitoring quality metrics. Using data analysis tools to identify trends and patterns, they provide feedback to management and staff on how to improve product or service quality. Ultimately, quality assurance specialists strive to ensure customer satisfaction by consistently delivering high-quality products and services.

ScoreQuality Assurance SpecialistUS Average
Salary
5.0

Avg. Salary $63,443

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.1

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 11.99%

Black or African American 6.24%

Hispanic or Latino 8.82%

Unknown 4.70%

White 67.73%

Gender

female 57.25%

male 42.75%

Age - 43
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43
Stress level
5.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a quality assurance specialist?

Pros

  • Opportunity to ensure quality and consistency in products or services

  • Chance to identify and solve problems before they reach customers

  • Involvement in the entire production process

  • Exposure to new technologies and methodologies

  • Continuous learning opportunities

Cons

  • High responsibility and accountability for product quality

  • Need for attention to detail and meticulousness

  • Potential exposure to hazardous materials or environments

  • Can involve long hours or weekend work

  • Can be mentally demanding due to the need for focus and concentration

Quality assurance specialist career paths

Key steps to become a quality assurance specialist

  1. Explore quality assurance specialist education requirements

    Most common quality assurance specialist degrees

    Bachelor's

    58.3 %

    Associate

    17.6 %

    Master's

    10.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific quality assurance specialist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    GMP6.21%
    Patients5.40%
    FDA4.74%
    CAPA4.35%
    Corrective Action4.25%
  3. Complete relevant quality assurance specialist training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New quality assurance specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a quality assurance specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real quality assurance specialist resumes.
  4. Research quality assurance specialist duties and responsibilities

    • Manage all NDT relate gauges to ensure calibrations requirements are meet.
    • Provide employee training and manage all NDT certification records per ASNT SNT-TC-1A.
    • Lead the HACCP team to ensure full compliance with regulatory and industrial food safety standards.
    • Manage product and environmental sampling for chemical and microbial analysis to meet HACCP requirements.
  5. Prepare your quality assurance specialist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your quality assurance specialist resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a quality assurance specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable quality assurance specialist resume templates

    Build a professional quality assurance specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your quality assurance specialist resume.
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    Quality Assurance Specialist Resume
    Quality Assurance Specialist Resume
  6. Apply for quality assurance specialist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a quality assurance specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first quality assurance specialist job

Zippi

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Average quality assurance specialist salary

The average quality assurance specialist salary in the United States is $63,443 per year or $31 per hour. Quality assurance specialist salaries range between $41,000 and $97,000 per year.

Average quality assurance specialist salary
$63,443 Yearly
$30.50 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do quality assurance specialists rate their job?

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Quality assurance specialist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2021
Pros

What I like about this specialty is its contribution to achieving health for all through sterilization of surgical instruments

Cons

The absence of a bachelor’s degree for this specialization in all countries of the world. Only diplomas are held in some health facilities or courses in some independent organizations Like CBSPD &IAHCSMM there is not Bachelor Certification in Central Sterilization Not in America, not in Europe, or in other countries except for Dublin ,Ireland, I suppose as well as Everyone looks at this specialty as automatic washing machines, although without it there would be no proper surgery, and it is the beating heart of the hospital


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020
Pros

Expressing and detailing the facts about a defect or incident is challenging. I had to use all senses to arrive at a factual conclusion. It is satisfying and rewarding when you arrive at the truth and root of the matter.

Cons

Deception and non cooperation throws a wrench into you efforts.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Cons

Low pay structure as compared to the efforts put in.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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