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The differences between quality assurance supervisors and quality leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a quality assurance supervisor, becoming a quality lead takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a quality lead has an average salary of $90,301, which is higher than the $66,145 average annual salary of a quality assurance supervisor.
The top three skills for a quality assurance supervisor include food safety, product quality and corrective action. The most important skills for a quality lead are continuous improvement, product quality, and quality standards.
| Quality Assurance Supervisor | Quality Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $66,145 | $90,301 |
| Hourly rate | $31.80 | $43.41 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 82,301 | 62,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 46 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
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.
A quality assurance (QA) lead is responsible for organizing and managing the testing of products prior to its release. Your duties will include defining testing standards and strategies, establishing formal QA processes, and overseeing all aspects of QA, such as using best practices and establishing metrics. Additionally, you are responsible for supervising and mentoring QA team members, and developing and implementing scripts, test cases, and procedures. You are also responsible for managing off quality products and developing and institutionalizing ISO complaints.
Quality assurance supervisors and quality leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Assurance Supervisor | Quality Lead | |
| Average salary | $66,145 | $90,301 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $94,000 | Between $63,000 And $127,000 |
| Highest paying City | South San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | California |
| Best paying company | Bristol-Myers Squibb | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a quality assurance supervisor and a quality lead in terms of educational background:
| Quality Assurance Supervisor | Quality Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality assurance supervisors' and quality leads' demographics:
| Quality Assurance Supervisor | Quality Lead | |
| Average age | 46 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.5% Female, 37.5% | Male, 58.7% Female, 41.3% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |