How To Become A Quality Control Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is a quality control associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Betsy Smith

Quality control associates can work in any industry where products are manufactured. They are responsible for inspecting products and maintaining stipulated standards of everything created in the factory. They may visually inspect the product and perform physical tests.

Typically, quality control associates work under quality control specialists, although both roles may be merged in some organizations. In pharmaceutical companies, Quality control specialists test drugs being produced at every production phase and compare them to expected standards. Quality control associates also prepare reports based on their findings.

These documentations are proof that the product underwent rigorous testing before it was launched. Documentations can also be used to assess the current production standards and rework them as needed. Quality control associates have a significant responsibility in industries like medical or car manufacturing because errors could cause loss of life.

The educational requirements vary among employers. Some accept a high school diploma and industry experience, while others require a bachelor's degree in an industry-relevant field.

What general advice would you give to a quality control associate?

Dr. Betsy Smith

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, Elmira College

I would advise students just graduating to be flexible and open-minded in their job search. Chemistry is a challenging major, and students who succeed in it have learned how to learn, so they shouldn't assume that pure chemistry is the only thing they can do. One growing field is biomedical research, and chemistry majors are often qualified for jobs in that area. If you have other strengths like writing, there are often jobs that can combine them as a technical writer or work for a science journal. There are jobs out there that might be perfect for you that you haven't heard of until you see an ad for it, so be open to different possibilities.

ScoreQuality Control AssociateUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $44,519

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.6

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.05%

Asian 13.16%

Black or African American 9.25%

Hispanic or Latino 16.39%

Unknown 6.13%

White 54.03%

Gender

female 49.98%

male 50.02%

Age - 35

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 - 35

Stress level

5.6

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a quality control associate

Explore quality control associate education requirements

Most common quality control associate degrees

Bachelor's

65.1 %

Associate

12.0 %

High School Diploma

8.8 %

Start to develop specific quality control associate skills

Skills	Percentages
QC	15.02%
GMP	8.16%
Laboratory Equipment	5.14%
Qc Testing	4.85%
Test Methods	3.92%

Complete relevant quality control associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New quality control associates 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 control associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real quality control associate resumes.

Research quality control associate duties and responsibilities

Follow GLP guidelines in the laboratory.
Analyze ELISA data in various software programs.
Work with CMOs on protocols and reports.
Contribute in CAPA and change control and participate in internal audits.

Prepare your quality control associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your quality control associate 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 control associate 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 control associate resume templates

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