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 is a Quality Control Associate?
What Does a Quality Control Associate Do
There are certain skills that many quality control associates have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, detail oriented and interpersonal skills.
How To Become a Quality Control Associate
If you're interested in becoming a quality control associate, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 65.1% of quality control associates have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 7.3% of quality control associates have master's degrees. Even though most quality control associates have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Quality Control Associate Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of quality control analyst you might progress to a role such as analyst eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title quality assurance manager.
Average Salary for a Quality Control Associate
What Am I Worth?
States With The Most Quality Control Associate Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active quality control associate jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where quality control associates earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Number Of Quality Control Associate Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 4,769 | $58,066 |
| 2 | Texas | 2,444 | $36,918 |
| 3 | Florida | 1,720 | $35,992 |
| 4 | New York | 1,509 | $67,062 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 1,459 | $56,464 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 1,434 | $61,971 |
| 7 | Illinois | 1,420 | $42,682 |
| 8 | Georgia | 1,323 | $43,481 |
| 9 | Ohio | 1,231 | $44,024 |
| 10 | Virginia | 1,191 | $64,561 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 1,149 | $44,984 |
| 12 | Minnesota | 996 | $45,795 |
| 13 | Michigan | 994 | $46,232 |
| 14 | Indiana | 952 | $48,931 |
| 15 | Maryland | 906 | $59,834 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 838 | $45,332 |
| 17 | Washington | 820 | $55,665 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | 813 | $61,561 |
| 19 | Tennessee | 693 | $47,260 |
| 20 | Arizona | 659 | $38,396 |
| 21 | Colorado | 648 | $38,656 |
| 22 | Missouri | 608 | $39,874 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 602 | $45,583 |
| 24 | Utah | 520 | $38,002 |
| 25 | Alabama | 515 | $42,601 |
| 26 | Oregon | 496 | $38,393 |
| 27 | Kentucky | 474 | $45,454 |
| 28 | Connecticut | 448 | $66,541 |
| 29 | Iowa | 396 | $41,714 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | 322 | $59,407 |
| 31 | Kansas | 314 | $43,989 |
| 32 | Arkansas | 299 | $42,754 |
| 33 | Mississippi | 254 | $33,657 |
| 34 | Nebraska | 240 | $42,007 |
| 35 | Nevada | 223 | $33,785 |
| 36 | Louisiana | 209 | $43,701 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | 208 | $42,569 |
| 38 | New Mexico | 185 | $44,033 |
| 39 | Delaware | 177 | $40,334 |
| 40 | Idaho | 163 | $47,794 |
| 41 | Rhode Island | 148 | $60,220 |
| 42 | Maine | 127 | $56,571 |
| 43 | West Virginia | 120 | $44,768 |
| 44 | North Dakota | 92 | $50,168 |
| 45 | Montana | 87 | $41,324 |
| 46 | Hawaii | 84 | $49,635 |
| 47 | South Dakota | 84 | $41,565 |
| 48 | Vermont | 74 | $57,021 |
| 49 | Alaska | 71 | $35,448 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 64 | $40,612 |
Top Colleges for Quality Control Associates
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
Top Skills For a Quality Control Associate
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 15.0% of quality control associates listed qc on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and detail oriented are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Quality Control Associate Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Quality Control Associate templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Quality Control Associate resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Quality Control Associate Demographics
Quality Control Associate Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among quality control associates, 50.0% of them are women, while 50.0% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among quality control associates is White, which makes up 60.8% of all quality control associates.
- The most common foreign language among quality control associates is Spanish at 65.5%.
Work Experience Programs For Quality Control Associates
Virtual work experience programs replicate work at top companies and help you gain the skills to be successful when applying and working there. In only a few hours, learn the relevant tools necessary to complete a typical work day at that company. Virtual work experience programs are 100% free, open-access, and self-paced. No experience or application is required!
Company: Tata
Cost: Free
Duration: 3.5-4.5 hours
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 4 hours
Company: Accenture North America
Cost: Free
Duration: 5-6 hours
Company: JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Cost: Free
Duration: 5 hours
Online Courses For Quality Control Associate That You May Like
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Best States For a Quality Control Associate
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a quality control associate. The best states for people in this position are New York, Connecticut, Virginia, and North Carolina. Quality control associates make the most in New York with an average salary of $67,062. Whereas in Connecticut and Virginia, they would average $66,541 and $64,561, respectively. While quality control associates would only make an average of $61,971 in North Carolina, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Connecticut
$66,541
Avg. Salary
2. North Carolina
$61,971
Avg. Salary
3. New Hampshire
$59,407
Avg. Salary
How Do Quality Control Associate Rate Their Jobs?
Top Quality Control Associate Employers
Most Common Employers For Quality Control Associate
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Synechron | $78,083 | $37.54 | 19 |
| 2 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $74,304 | $35.72 | 25 |
| 3 | Biogen | $69,103 | $33.22 | 38 |
| 4 | Genentech | $64,413 | $30.97 | 59 |
| 5 | Amgen | $62,488 | $30.04 | 102 |
| 6 | Pfizer | $59,341 | $28.53 | 35 |
| 7 | MannKind | $56,289 | $27.06 | 15 |
| 8 | Illumina | $55,431 | $26.65 | 17 |
| 9 | Abbott | $52,029 | $25.01 | 13 |
| 10 | KeHE | $42,837 | $20.59 | 21 |
Quality Control Associate Videos
