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The differences between quality control engineers and lead quality controls can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a quality control engineer, becoming a lead quality control takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a lead quality control has an average salary of $85,375, which is higher than the $70,845 average annual salary of a quality control engineer.
The top three skills for a quality control engineer include product quality, quality standards and corrective action. The most important skills for a lead quality control are GMP, safety procedures, and quality checks.
| Quality Control Engineer | Lead Quality Control | |
| Yearly salary | $70,845 | $85,375 |
| Hourly rate | $34.06 | $41.05 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 109,745 | 83,633 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A quality control engineer is responsible for conducting quality assessments for the company's products and services to ensure adherence to federal regulations and quality standards. Quality control engineers recommend strategic methods by analyzing processes and writing test results. They also identify opportunities for more services that meet public demands and market trends, helping the business generate more resources for revenues. A quality control engineer utilizes various software tools and applications to document findings, requiring them to have excellent communication and technical skills.
Lead quality control agents are manufacturing professionals who are responsible for supervising and coordinating the activities of workers to meet the required quality standards of finished products. These professionals are required to review the calibration of manufacturing equipment to ensure they perform correctly and on time. They must assist in identifying and developing procedures and processes that are related to the quality management system. Leads quality control must also perform quality testing on materials while participating in team meetings to discuss safety and quality issues.
Quality control engineers and lead quality controls have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Control Engineer | Lead Quality Control | |
| Average salary | $70,845 | $85,375 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $94,000 | Between $66,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | Brookhaven, NY |
| Highest paying state | Wyoming | New York |
| Best paying company | Intuitive Surgical | Bloomberg |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a quality control engineer and a lead quality control in terms of educational background:
| Quality Control Engineer | Lead Quality Control | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Johns Hopkins University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality control engineers' and lead quality controls' demographics:
| Quality Control Engineer | Lead Quality Control | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% | Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 9.1% White, 69.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 8% |