Post job

Quality control vs quality engineer

The differences between quality controls and quality engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a quality engineer has an average salary of $79,672, which is higher than the $32,824 average annual salary of a quality control.

The top three skills for a quality control include quality checks, product quality and safety standards. The most important skills for a quality engineer are corrective action, continuous improvement, and ISO.

Quality control vs quality engineer overview

Quality ControlQuality Engineer
Yearly salary$32,824$79,672
Hourly rate$15.78$38.30
Growth rate3%10%
Number of jobs83,49696,838
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age3842
Years of experience-4

What does a quality control do?

As the name entails, the job of a quality control inspector is to inspect, maintain, and improve the quality and standard of products. They are responsible for ensuring the company's reputation is not damaged due to defective products or inferior manufacturing processes. This can be done by detecting and resolving the problem early on, and returning the product for repair. A quality control inspector should also notify the supervisors immediately when issues arise and coordinate with them to address the problem.

What does a quality engineer do?

A quality engineer's responsibilities include ensuring that the manufacturing processes are efficient and accurate, documenting findings that would raise concerns, conducting quality tests while observing parameters, and implementing changes as necessary to meet the highest quality standards. Quality engineers need to have excellent problem-solving and observation skills to detect any irregularities and possible malfunctions. They also must be able to communicate effectively with the clients for feedbacks and corrective adjustments, address complaints, and immediately resolve any inconsistencies made.

Quality control vs quality engineer salary

Quality controls and quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Quality ControlQuality Engineer
Average salary$32,824$79,672
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $45,000Between $61,000 And $103,000
Highest paying CityFremont, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNevadaWashington
Best paying companyBDMeta
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between quality control and quality engineer education

There are a few differences between a quality control and a quality engineer in terms of educational background:

Quality ControlQuality Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 34%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorBusinessMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeStanford UniversityNorthwestern University

Quality control vs quality engineer demographics

Here are the differences between quality controls' and quality engineers' demographics:

Quality ControlQuality Engineer
Average age3842
Gender ratioMale, 54.5% Female, 45.5%Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 10.4% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage8%4%

Differences between quality control and quality engineer duties and responsibilities

Quality control example responsibilities.

  • Develop procedures for testing equipment for safety and compliance to achieve FDA regulations for safety and manufacturing.
  • Develop and enhance environmental monitoring and testing procedures to insure ~~~~~~~~~compliance through risk assessment utilizing HAACP, USP and EP guidance.
  • Perform quality control check for all video and audio DVD data streams.
  • Used extensive use of SQL queries for back end testing using API and XML.
  • Perform procedural calibrations and maintenance on instruments such as Olympus AU5400, ELISA, and GC-MS.
  • Embed AFD (active format descriptor), AMOL, close captions, subtitles, watermarking, etc.
  • Show more

Quality engineer example responsibilities.

  • Lead internal and customer 8D iniatives using the 6-Sigma DMAIC approach to problem solving.
  • Manage and develop QA lab personnel, ensuring reliable food safety and manufacturing quality support.
  • Give guidance to Apple/Asian SQE's and supplier QA, insuring that all quality requirements are being addressed and achieve.
  • Lead interdisciplinary teams in addressing and resolving problems utilizing Kaizen event , 8D, and 5-why to arrive at root cause.
  • Lead project to develop and implement quality and environmental management systems to achieve & maintain ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001:2004 certification.
  • Manage aerospace resolver manufacturing transfer from out-of-state acquisition.
  • Show more

Quality control vs quality engineer skills

Common quality control skills
  • Quality Checks, 22%
  • Product Quality, 13%
  • Safety Standards, 7%
  • Laboratory Equipment, 6%
  • Quality Standards, 4%
  • R, 3%
Common quality engineer skills
  • Corrective Action, 7%
  • Continuous Improvement, 6%
  • ISO, 5%
  • Quality Standards, 5%
  • Sigma, 4%
  • Product Quality, 4%

Browse life, physical, and social science jobs