What does a quality control analyst do?
Quality assurance representatives are professionals who are responsible for ensuring the quality of units produced or manufactured is following the standards set by the industry. These representatives supervise the entire production process to identify erroneous methods or tools being used by workers and observing produced for visible defects. They are required to perform various tests to check for the durability of the product and other desirable characteristics. Quality assurance representatives must also collaborate with the manufacturing engineer to implement quality control programs and preparing training manuals and quality guidelines.
Quality control analyst responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real quality control analyst resumes:
- SAP, Trackwise and outlook manage.
- Approve QC laboratory data ensuring correct GLP and GMP guidelines are follow and validate procedures are utilize.
- Train and assist junior chemist to ensure completion of all testing on HPLC, GC, and UPLC.
- Detect unknown concentrations of metals and toluene in waste water by AA and GC with purge and trap attachments.
- Contract for environmental monitoring need to qualify facilities for GMP operations.
- Monitor, calibrate and troubleshoot laboratory equipment to ensure proper compliance with procedures and accuracy of test results.
- Conduct RNAse/ DNAse/Protease and PCR testing of buffers.
- Process documents according to FHA and RESPA guidelines.
- Assist with day-to-day maintenance of HPLC and UPLC.
- Used SQL queries to retrieve the data from database.
- Perform analysis of production defects, and determine impact to regression test bed.
- Generate reports on project compliance with business requirements in system test and UAT environments.
- Serve as a liaison with Fannie Mae's SME and solicit feedback for improvement.
- Work daily in BL2 laboratory environments, conforming to GLPs, ISO and OSHA guidelines.
- Develop assays for quality control of bulk drug product and assist in laboratory PCR suite design.
Quality control analyst skills and personality traits
We calculated that 13% of Quality Control Analysts are proficient in QC, Lab Equipment, and Microbiology. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Quality Control Analysts that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- QC, 13%
Served as a liaison between QC and Manufacturing by communicating test results and organizing testing/retesting schedules around production schedule.
- Lab Equipment, 5%
Maintained lab equipment for calibrations and preventative maintenance.
- Microbiology, 4%
Performed critical media preparation at Microbiology Laboratory, analyzed microbial samples and prepared specific dilution concentrations for its posterior analysis.
- Test Methods, 4%
Executed aerosol test methods by emitted dose and particle sizing distribution for product characterization and release studies.
- HPLC, 3%
Received Empower software certification for methods and analysis of data using Waters HPLC
- FDA, 3%
Supported testing operations in a 20-person Chemical Laboratory, monitoring production quality for 3 FDA approved products already in production.
"qc," "lab equipment," and "microbiology" are among the most common skills that quality control analysts use at work. You can find even more quality control analyst responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a quality control analyst to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "environmental science and protection technicians must carry out a wide range of laboratory and field tests, and their results must be accurate and precise." Quality control analysts often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "assisted in data collection and compilation during fda investigation. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform quality control analyst duties is communication skills. Quality control analysts responsibilities require that "environmental science and protection technicians must have good listening and writing skills, because they must follow precise directions for sample collection and communicate their results effectively in written reports." Quality control analysts also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provided inter-departmental communications between the business units, technology teams and support teams interpersonal relations/customer service"
Interpersonal skills. quality control analysts are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to quality control analyst responsibilities, because "environmental science and protection technicians need to work well and collaborate with others, because they often work with scientists and other technicians." A quality control analyst resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "present utilize microsoft office experience, time management, interpersonalrelations, process improvement and data entry skills. "
The three companies that hire the most quality control analysts are:
- System One17 quality control analysts jobs
- Emergent BioSolutions13 quality control analysts jobs
- Planet Pharma12 quality control analysts jobs
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Compare different quality control analysts
Quality control analyst vs. Chemist
Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter. A chemist usually takes time performing research and conducting experiments to test and further improve the quality and usage of a specific chemical substance. Chemists are expected to write on their observations and findings to establish scientific results.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a quality control analyst are more likely to require skills like "qc," "microbiology," "test procedures," and "capa." On the other hand, a job as a chemist requires skills like "chemistry," "product development," "gmp," and "ms." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Chemists tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $75,495. In contrast, quality control analysts make the biggest average salary, $62,870, in the manufacturing industry.The education levels that chemists earn slightly differ from quality control analysts. In particular, chemists are 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a quality control analyst. Additionally, they're 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Quality control analyst vs. Research chemist
A research chemist specializes in conducting studies and experiments to develop new products. Their duties primarily focus on conducting research and assessments, gathering and analyzing chemical samples, developing ideas, conducting tests to study chemical reactions, maintaining records of all procedures, and utilizing previous studies. Their research findings can be used to create new medicines, enhance existing products, and lead to innovations. When it comes to employment, a research chemist may work for pharmaceutical companies, private laboratories, government agencies, and learning institutions.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, quality control analyst responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "qc," "lab equipment," "microbiology," and "test results." Meanwhile, a research chemist has duties that require skills in areas such as "laboratory equipment," "analytical chemistry," "polymer," and "organic synthesis." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Research chemists earn a higher average salary than quality control analysts. But research chemists earn the highest pay in the energy industry, with an average salary of $92,565. Additionally, quality control analysts earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $62,870 annually.In general, research chemists achieve higher levels of education than quality control analysts. They're 5.1% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for quality control analysts in the next 3-5 years?
Kevin Belfield Ph.D.
Dean, College of Science and Liberal Arts Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Science Becton Dickinson Research Professor Fellow of the ACS and AAAS, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Quality control analyst vs. Senior chemist
Senior Chemists are responsible for designing, developing, and testing formulations and compounds. They also maintain and troubleshoot laboratory equipment and relevant documentation.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from quality control analyst resumes include skills like "qc," "lab equipment," "microbiology," and "test procedures," whereas a senior chemist is more likely to list skills in "laboratory equipment," "gmp," "product development," and "ms."
Senior chemists earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $93,450. Comparatively, quality control analysts have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $62,870.Most senior chemists achieve a higher degree level compared to quality control analysts. For example, they're 7.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 7.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Quality control analyst vs. Research and development scientist
A research and development scientist specializes in conducting scientific studies and experiments to develop new products and technologies. They usually work at laboratories where they are in charge of conducting research and assessments, coming up with new ideas, performing tests, streamlining product requirements and guidelines, collaborating with fellow experts, utilizing previous studies and advanced software, and maintaining records of all procedures. Additionally, as a research and development scientist, it is essential to conduct reviews and assessments to ensure products adhere to safety standards and regulations.
Types of quality control analyst
Updated January 8, 2025
