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What is a quality control engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
James Swisher
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Without a doubt, quality control is essential in keeping the reputation of a company and all of its brands spotless. Strong quality control procedures ensure consistency in the company's products and services. These, in turn, build trust with consumers because they know that these products and services will meet, or even exceed, expectations.

There are many people who work to ensure the quality of the company's products and services. One of them is the quality control engineer. Quality control engineers put systems in place to ensure quality. They continuously find ways to make processes more efficient. They test products and ensure that these products meet the standards.

They also create evaluation tools for easier assessment. It is a role that needs strong analytical skills and process drafting skills. It may seem like a very scientific job, and in a way, it is. Quality control engineers help create methodologies and evaluation processes. Needless to say, it is an enjoyable career, especially for people who are keen on these activities.

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

James SwisherJames Swisher LinkedIn profile

Director of Continuing Education, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers

It's truly an exciting time to be an Industrial and Systems Engineer. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects demand for ISEs to grow by 10% over the next ten years, which is much faster than the rate for all occupations. Firms across a broad range of industries will continue to focus on the skills that ISEs bring to improve efficiencies, enhance quality, and lower costs. In addition, ISEs bring skills in the related fields of big data, artificial intelligence, and project management that make them extremely valuable to organizations. ISEs ability to quickly make an impact in an organization also means that their potential for promotion is very good. It's a great profession to be in.
ScoreQuality Control EngineerUS Average
Salary
5.5

Avg. Salary $70,845

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 15.51%

Black or African American 4.30%

Hispanic or Latino 10.54%

Unknown 3.89%

White 65.59%

Gender

female 16.23%

male 83.77%

Age - 41
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 - 41
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Quality control engineer career paths

Key steps to become a quality control engineer

  1. Explore quality control engineer education requirements

    Most common quality control engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.2 %

    Master's

    11.3 %

    Associate

    9.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific quality control engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Product Quality7.59%
    Quality Standards6.30%
    Corrective Action6.12%
    ISO5.24%
    Continuous Improvement5.15%
  3. Complete relevant quality control engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New quality control engineers 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 engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real quality control engineer resumes.
  4. Research quality control engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage PPAP and quality process analysis for launch, cost reduction, quality improvement activities and efficiency improvement.
    • Develop and coordinate strategic relationships with international OEM and ODM partners to achieve business goals.
    • Acquire knowledge of vehicle wiring harness systems, fiber optics, CATIA, AutoCAD, PPAP, APQP.
    • Lead and participate in Kaizen events.
  5. Prepare your quality control engineer resume

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

    Build a professional quality control engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your quality control engineer resume.
    Quality Control Engineer Resume
    Quality Control Engineer Resume
    Quality Control Engineer Resume
    Quality Control Engineer Resume
    Quality Control Engineer Resume
    Quality Control Engineer Resume
    Quality Control Engineer Resume
    Quality Control Engineer Resume
    Quality Control Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for quality control engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a quality control engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first quality control engineer job

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Average quality control engineer salary

The average quality control engineer salary in the United States is $70,845 per year or $34 per hour. Quality control engineer salaries range between $53,000 and $94,000 per year.

Average quality control engineer salary
$70,845 Yearly
$34.06 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do quality control engineers rate their job?

4/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Quality control engineer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022
Pros

Fabric checking and find out the problem


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021
Pros

Pride on myself making sure the quality is in the product for releasel

Cons

Working with no prints or no prints at all


profile
4.0
A zippia user wrote a review on May 2021
Pros

Defined Quality test procedure validated test components and planned integration tests for leading parts manufacture for industry. • Prepares and maintained important company quality control documentations such as quality manuals quality procedure, quality standards and quality assurance • Prepared the final inspection report before the dispatched for the machining process • Resolved machining department complaints, took preventive measure to prevent future complaints and clearly, documented all feedback, Mechanical Engineer for Third Party Inspection jobs in Baroda • Typically deals with several problems of the same time

Cons

Yes


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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