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The differences between quality assurance technicians and quality control technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a quality assurance technician and a quality control technician. Additionally, a quality control technician has an average salary of $40,337, which is higher than the $40,027 average annual salary of a quality assurance technician.
The top three skills for a quality assurance technician include food safety, GMP and lab equipment. The most important skills for a quality control technician are lab equipment, quality control tests, and test results.
| Quality Assurance Technician | Quality Control Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $40,027 | $40,337 |
| Hourly rate | $19.24 | $19.39 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 81,534 | 98,407 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Quality assurance is an essential part of a company that offers products and services. It is critical that the company's output remains consistent and up to par with community standards. It is the assistant quality assurance manager's role to inspect, monitor, and evaluate the quality of every product. The goal is to establish customer satisfaction and trust. The assistant quality assurance manager works with the head manager and helps generate reports of daily activities for executive evaluations.
Usually assigned in a manufacturing plant, a quality control technician's role focuses on testing and assessing materials before, after, and during a production process to ensure its efficiency. They also have responsibilities in implementing the policies and regulations of the company, all to maintain a safe and productive working environment for every employee. Furthermore, a quality control technician must produce necessary reports and documentation, coordinate with managers and supervisors, maintain accurate documentation, and oversee a team to secure quality standard outcomes.
Quality assurance technicians and quality control technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Assurance Technician | Quality Control Technician | |
| Average salary | $40,027 | $40,337 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $60,000 | Between $31,000 And $51,000 |
| Highest paying City | Baltimore, MD | Baltimore, MD |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | SMTC | Boehringer Ingelheim |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a quality assurance technician and a quality control technician in terms of educational background:
| Quality Assurance Technician | Quality Control Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Biology | Biology |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality assurance technicians' and quality control technicians' demographics:
| Quality Assurance Technician | Quality Control Technician | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.6% Female, 42.4% | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.2% White, 59.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 8.1% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |