Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between quality control inspectors and quality control specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a quality control specialist has an average salary of $49,281, which is higher than the $35,018 average annual salary of a quality control inspector.
The top three skills for a quality control inspector include calipers, magnetic particle and quality products. The most important skills for a quality control specialist are GMP, patients, and customer service.
| Quality Control Inspector | Quality Control Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $35,018 | $49,281 |
| Hourly rate | $16.84 | $23.69 |
| Growth rate | -3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 92,794 | 100,535 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Average age | 45 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Quality control associate scientist roles require good observation, critical thinking, and communication skills, in addition to knowledge of procedures and chemistry. They assist in laboratory experiments and research, while working in a team or independently. Working with the lead scientist, associates may compile reports of their data findings.
A quality control specialist is responsible for maintaining the quality of the products during production before storing for use and deliveries. Quality control specialists evaluate the products through internal specifications and processes. They conduct thorough inspections of finished products to identify any inconsistencies and malfunctions, immediately replacing or reproducing defective items. They also create a record of production issues to discuss with the management, developing strategic procedures to address quality problems for accuracy. A quality control specialist must have excellent communication skills, as well as be detail-oriented to identify areas of improvement and ensure customer satisfaction.
Quality control inspectors and quality control specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Control Inspector | Quality Control Specialist | |
| Average salary | $35,018 | $49,281 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $47,000 | Between $32,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Broomfield, CO | Rockville, MD |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Los Alamos National Laboratory | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a quality control inspector and a quality control specialist in terms of educational background:
| Quality Control Inspector | Quality Control Specialist | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality control inspectors' and quality control specialists' demographics:
| Quality Control Inspector | Quality Control Specialist | |
| Average age | 45 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.9% Asian, 8.6% White, 54.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 8% |